The Love Club
by Intergalactic Koala
Summary: Galinda moves into a new apartment with an old friend and four strangers. All of them are interesting, but none more than her new roommate; green, angry, and the future Eminent Thropp. Modern Oz au. Gelphie.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So, I'm finally posting this! For any who are interested, there are a bunch of drawings based around this au on my tumblr. (the url is spaciegelphs.)

**Chapter 1; The Love Club**

The street was lined with narrow redbrick houses that sat like a row of cramped, uneven teeth. Galinda Arduenna stood before the twenty-second house of this mangled jaw. Most of her belongings had been brought over by various friends with cars, so she came with little more than a full duffle bag and a neat stack of boxes.

Fiyero greeted her outside, and they ferried the boxes to her new room. She would be sharing her room with another person that she didn't know, but Fiyero knew them and she trusted his judgement. Truthfully, she would put up with just about anything for an inner-city apartment at only a hundred and ten a month.

"Still like Tenaa Bloom?" Fiyero asked. He plucked two teabags from a pile of boxes stacked beside the kettle.

She preferred Gillikin rose blend these days. "Tenna Bloom sounds good." Galinda sat at the kitchen counter.

"I can help you sort out your stuff if you want. Elphaba won't be back till six, so we have time."

"I think I'll enjoy this for now," Galinda said, accepting her cup of tea. Tenna Bloom reminded her of highschool; late study sessions at Fiyero's house; Frottican macaroons; the two hour bus rides from school to her parent's farm. "Brings back memories," she said quietly.

Fiyero leaned forward on the counter. "How have you been, Galinda? You had me worried."

"I know I was a bit of a mess, but I'm fine now!" Fiyero looked doubtful. "So, where are my charming new roommates?"

"Elphaba is at work. Boq is suffering at his parent's house. Crope has rehearsals. And I am going to get more out of you about last month. Eventually."

"It's really not important."

"Yes it is. Things that happen to you are important, Galinda."

"Nothing happened!"

"If you say so."

"I do," She said firmly. Fiyero was exasperated, but she didn't care. "Tell me more about Elphaba, since I'll be sleeping with her."

Everything that Fiyero said about Elphaba gave the impression that she was an enigma, even to her close friends. All they knew was that Elphaba was intelligent, strong in many ways, an outcast by choice, and not faking any of it. "Needless to say, you're gonna have an experience," Fiyero concluded. Galinda was kind of apprehensive now.

They finished up their tea and got to sorting out the room. It was a spacious room. Elphaba's arrangement was spartan at best. A table, a chest of draws mostly left empty, a wardrobe that was built into the wall. The bed was barricaded with books. "A reader," Galinda remarked.

"Oh, you can say that again," Fiyero said. "That's all they do. Read and study."

"Sounds like a party."

Fiyero finished twisting a bolt into the right leg of Galinda's dismantled bed. "When Elphaba is in a good mood, if you're lucky, she'll write music."

Galinda surveyed the room in light of this new information. "Can't see any instruments. Does she play?"

"Not sure, but their voice is godly." Galinda gave him a funny look. "No, I'm serious. I cried the first time I heard them sing. It was a spiritual experience."

"Interesting," Galinda murmured. She focused on the planks of wood she was attempting to connect.

"You know," Fiyero grunted, hefting a box into the room, "For a poor student you have a lot of stuff."

"I may be poor, but my family-"

"Yeah, I remember." Fiyero scoured the nearby walls for a power socket. "Your family is confusing. They are farmers, but still scummy and middle class."

"That's them," Galinda muttered. She hung the last of her dresses in her portion of the wardrobe. Which was most of it. Elphaba had all of fifteen articles of clothing, and most of them were t-shirts and jeans. "Not very fashionable, is she?"

"Crope and Tibbett are the fashionable ones. They crossdress at a local gay bar on the weekends, and they always have costumes coming in from productions they do."

Galinda cast a look over her shoulder. "Tibbett?"

"There," Fiyero sighed. Her lamp came to life. "There's a power socket by that corner. I'll bring in an extension cord." Fiyero rubbed at his cheek and stared at Galinda's confused look. "Tibbett. He's Crope's boyfriend. He may as well be another roommate with how often he's here. You'll like him." Fiyero glanced around the room. "Anything else?"

"I think I'm good."

"Wifi password is on the fridge."

Galinda made her bed and unpacked the rest of her belongings, then settled in to finish her homework. Her new housemates trickled in and out, from what she heard downstairs. Boq was the first to greet her. He knocked and entered gingerly.

"Galinda, right?"

"Galinda Arduenna."

"Of course," He said. He had a polite kind of smile. He was short and stocky, and his features were very soft. His hair was dark and wavy. He was the image of a Munchkinlander. "It's nice to meet you! I hope the room is okay."

"It's nice! Plenty of space. I was expecting something smaller."

Boq's smile dampened. "I apologize for Elphaba in advance. She can be… temperamental, but she means well. She'll warm up to you once you've been here a while."

Galinda wasn't sure how to respond. Fiyero hadn't mentioned anything of the sort. "I'll keep that in mind, I guess?"

"Yes." Boq moved as if to leave, but hesitated at the door. "You're really beautiful," He said, his cheeks bright red. "Lunch will be in an hour."

Munchkinlanders didn't talk to Gillikin like that in Frottica. Galinda wasn't sure what to say. She managed a belated, "Thank you, Boq." He sensed her discomfort and left quickly.

She got through half a paragraph before Crope and Tibbett came in together. One jumped onto Elphaba's bed while the other perched on the side of Galinda's. "Wow, your hair is so pretty."

"I have a wig like yours, but it doesn't shine as well. The real thing is always better. Is it dyed? It doesn't look dyed."

The one on her bed was touching her hair. She floundered briefly, and then laughed in a kind of confused, huffy way. "It's not dyed, no. You're Crope and Tibbett?" She gently pried her hair from his hand.

"We are! I'm Crope," The one on her bed said. "Thats Tibbs. We're just across the hall. Feel free to say hi anytime, okay?"

Both Crope and Tibbett were good looking and slight. Tibbett's features were a little more angular where Crope's were prettier. They both had cropped black hair, Tibbett's curly where Crope's was straight, though Galinda could tell Crope's was fading after being dyed blonde some months ago. They had golden skin - though she could see a little Gillikin in Tibbett's nose and his fairness - and she was thrown off. She thought they might be from the Kingdom of Ix, but could just as likely be from Ev.

"Thanks," She said, unsure of how to proceed. Crope simpered and hugged her tight around the waist. Tibbett did the same. She was flustered by the time they had left.

Boq made everyone elaborate toasted cheese sandwiches for lunch. Elphaba was still absent. "When does she get back?" Galinda asked.

"Who knows?" Boq grumbled. "The public library closes at six, so then, perhaps. If she doesn't talk whatever girls are on duty into letting her stay overtime."

"Has she done that before?"

"Yes," Fiyero said. "She can be very persuasive."

"Elphaba is a living contradiction. Rude, but charming. Terrible, but compassionate. Intelligent, but absentminded."

"Green, but hot!" Tibbett added. Crope and Fiyero giggled along with him, Boq looking on awkwardly. Galinda looked around the table.

"Green?"

The boys stopped laughing. They looked at each other. They heard the front door open and slam shut. "Oh, that must be her now," Galinda said, getting up from the couch. The young men around her were staring at her and the door with wide eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Everybody out of the kitchen. I haven't eaten since twelve o'clock yesterday and the food at Ruby's tastes like ass. Oh. Hello."

"Holy shit," Galinda said. She slapped a hand over her mouth. She was green. A cool, jade green. No signs of it being make up. She was genuinely green. "You're green," Galinda pointed out helpfully, because she was green.

"Wow, really?" Elphaba glared at the boys. "You could have told her, you know." They shrugged and looked away guiltily.

"Wait. They did a program on you when you were a kid, didn't they?" Galinda looked Elphaba over in awe. "Oh my god. You're the green baby."

"My greatest achievement," Elphaba remarked, stepping further into the room. She stood a foot from Galinda, looking down at her. "You're quite tall. Galinda Arduenna, right? Welcome." She pushed past Galinda and began to climb the stairs. "Boq, make me one of those sandwiches."

Galinda watched her go. She slowly looked at Fiyero. He stared back, his face blank.

"She's green."

"I know."

Galinda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "We're talking about this later," She said, and then she followed Elphaba up the stairs.

She found Elphaba on her bed, wrestling off a pair of ungainly leather boots. She managed to tug one off just as she noticed Galinda in the doorway. Galinda sat on her own bed, watching as Elphaba yanked off the other.

Elphaba was unattractive. She had stern, sharp features. Her nose was large and hooked. Her lips were thin. Her chin jutted. But she had good cheekbones, and the cut of her jaw was handsome. Her lashes were thick, like the straight dark hair that framed her face. Her hair was beautiful. It hadn't been dyed before - Galinda could tell right away - and someone had taught Elphaba what products to use. She had never seen hair quite so healthy looking.

"You can stare all day if you like, but I'd rather you simply spoke your mind," Elphaba said. Galinda blinked. Elphaba was looking at her expectantly. "About the skin. I suppose you're wondering if it's contagious, or at least how it came to be."

"Actually, I was looking at your hair. It's lovely. I'm something of an expert," Galinda joked, tossing her head, "So if you ever need help styling it, ask away."

Elphaba squinted at her. "I'll keep that in mind," She said slowly.

"How did it come to be?"

"What?"

"The skin."

"Birth defect," Elphaba said. "In other words, who knows. It has no irregularities, other than its hue, and a severe allergy to water. I have no real rules, except that you aren't excessively untidy and that you don't hose the place down."

"I don't intend to," Galinda muttered. "Water? That's seriously the most inconvenient allergy ever. What does it do?"

"Burns," Elphaba said, meeting Galinda's eye. "Like acid."

"That's terrifying."

"Can be. Keep the place dry."

Elphaba was weird. All night, as they ate dinner and shared their space, Galinda noticed it again and again. It wasn't the skin – the skin was distracting, though – but the way she moved, or the way she held herself. There was something uncomfortable about it, almost disturbing, for no justifiable reason. Like a spider.

Elphaba was like a spider.

"Elphie and I are childhood friends," Boq said as he pushed half scrambled eggs around a skillet the next morning. "She's a Munchkinlander, you know – she's in line as the Eminent Thropp, which would matter if they still ruled that way – but much of her childhood was in Quadling country. Of course, we were friends while she was still in Munchkinland," Boq said hurriedly. "I was not raised in the Quads."

Galinda stared at him. "She's royalty? I thought the name was a coincidence, or that she was a distant relative."

"She is, but there's little point. Her grandparents are alive, and the greenness..." He turned to give her a look. She nodded. "Everyone in her family but her younger siblings have been cut off. Her mother disgraced the family. You should have seen the press on it. Munchkinland was in an uproar."

"Strange she didn't mention it," Galinda said. Boq smiled.

"Elphaba isn't the type to bring up her family heritage as a positive; or at all, really."

"What type is Elphaba?"

Boq frowned as he snapped off the heat on the stovetop. He eventually shrugged his shoulder. "The alien type? I don't know."

An alien seemed accurate.

"I met her during our first year of university," Fiyero told Galinda. "We both study international relations. Our first class, and she was right off, lecturing the lecturer on why the Wizard's Court is a faulty system of leadership, and all the ways in which it has shattered the economy of Oz." Fiyero spoke fondly. Very fondly.

"Are you smitten? With a girl?" Galinda said. "Though, you are both from royal lines."

"Elphaba isn't a girl," Fiyero dismissed, "And I'm not smitten. I swore I was in love with her last year, but it passed. They're just so interesting. You'll see."

"Doubt it. I think she's weird," Galinda said. She sounded so pretentious she felt embarrassed a moment later.

"That's how it starts, then a week later you're making their toasted sandwiches and listening avidly to their theories on the significance of the Kumbric Witch."

"Elphie. How do you describe Elphie." Crope was beating together soft butter and sugar in a massive mixing bowl. The whole kitchen was warm with the oven's heat. "He's a mystery, really."

"He?"

"Elphie doesn't have any preferred pronouns. Secretly, I think he likes it that me and Tibbs use male ones. Mixes it up a little, you know? Fiyero sometimes uses neutral pronouns, but most default to female."

"Why didn't you?"

"Just not my impression of him," Crope said. "Maybe its just because I like boys. I really, really like Elphie," Crope said with a smirk. "So does Tibbs, of course!" Crope said quickly, in response to the face Galinda made. "Its too bad Elphaba won't grace our bedroom."

"I can't tell if you're joking."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not."

She really couldn't tell when it came to the bedroom gracing, but it was obvious Crope cared for Elphaba. All of them did. The unattractive green-girl had a posse of handsome men completely smitten with her.

She realised within their first two days that living with Elphaba was already an experience, just as Fiyero had promised. They were an antisocial green person that was allergic to water, so perhaps Galinda should have seen that coming. She had expected to have to settle into her room, but she rather found herself settling into Elphaba and the space they shared.

Elphaba had a schedule. It was an obvious one. She woke up at five thirty on school days and eleven on weekends. She went to bed exactly eight and a half hours before these times the next day. She read before sleeping and after waking up. She made food whenever she decided she was done with her book – this depended on the book and was surprisingly sporadic. Her working hours were always the same and the times she left for classes was down to the minute. She returned at wild, unpredictable hours, though; whatever order Elphaba had for her journeys home, Galinda couldn't see it.

Galinda didn't _get_ Elphaba. Elphaba never directly impeded her life, but there was still something about her that grated on Galinda. She thought, for a second, it may have been the skin, but immediately disregarded this idea in fear of it being true. Everyone else was indifferent to the green, and she was at least as nice as the guys. She thought it may have been the weird way Elphaba had of baring herself. She was usually in some uncomfortable position, and there was an unnatural stillness to her.

Maybe it was the way Elphaba seemed completely indifferent to her existence.

It was four thirty on a Saturday, which meant Elphaba would be going to work. Galinda peered at her roommate as she wrapped an old scarf around her neck. She closed her laptop. Elphaba was distracted by the sound. "Where do you work?" Galinda asked.

Elphaba turned to look at her with narrowed eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Maybe I just want to know," Galinda said. Elphaba huffed out a laugh at that. Galinda eyed her with irritation. "It's a simple question."

"I work at a teahouse on the mainstreet."

"Ruby's?"

Elphaba raised a brow. "Yes."

"It's just outside my univeristy building," Galinda said with a little smile. "Our schedules meet up, you know. Maybe I'll drop in and see you."

"Do what you want," Elphaba replied vaguely. She moved toward the door impatiently. Galinda called an indignant farewell to her as she left.

Galinda didn't think Elphaba expected her to actually go to Ruby's, but she did. Elphaba was visibly surprised. Galinda liked that look. It was a nice change from her usual stoicism.

"Hey."

"Hey," Elphaba said slowly. "Uh. What can I get you?"

"Got any recommendations?"

Elphaba seemed to become a little easier being given a set task. She pulled out a tea chart. "What are you looking for? Something calming, or caffeinated, or…?"

"Caffeinated. Definitely. I've had two lectures already today, and a third one in half an hour," She muttered. Elphaba gave her something approaching a sympathetic smile.

Galinda perched herself on one of the red felt couches and gave the shop a proper inspection. The owner had stayed obnoxiously true to their establishment's name; everything was red, or orange, or pink, and all the wood was mahogany. Elphaba was the most refreshing thing in the store.

Elphaba placed the tea on the low table at her knees. "Will that be all?"

"Any decent food here?"

"The chips are digestible. Their sandwiches are…" Elphaba paused. "Their chips are okay."

"Chips it is," Galinda said. She patted the couch beside her. "Come join me when you're free. And make it two servings, on me."

Elphaba squinted at her again, but went off to put in the order. She came back with the chips and stayed, sitting beside Galinda stiffly. "You have me."

Galinda plucked a chip from one of the bowls daintily. She took a bite. It was mediocre. She smiled at Elphaba. "Tell me about yourself."

"Yeah, I don't really do that."

"I've noticed. But I'm living with you, so I would appreciate a little insight."

"You know everything you need to," Elphaba said with a hardness to her voice. "If that changes at any point, I will provide the relevant information."

"God, you're hard to talk to," Galinda muttered. Elphaba laughed. "This is serious! I sleep beside you. I need to know what's going on with you. For like, trust reasons."

"You dont need to trust me, though for the record, I don't plan on shaving your eyebrows, or whatever it is you're scaring yourself with."

"If you shave my eyebrows I will cut your books. All of them. I will be a shadow in the dead of night."

"Cool your jets."

"Whatever," Galinda said. Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Can I at least tell you about me?"

"You're asking me to listen to you talk about yourself?"

"Yes," Galinda said confidently.

Elphaba stared at her, then her eyebrows pinched in consideration. She sighed and shoved a hand into her chips. "Fuck it, I'm bored and this should be entertaining. Go for it."

"Okay! Well, I'm from Frottica. I grew up on a farm a couple of hours out of town. A cattle farm. My parents are both Gillikin. I don't have any siblings, but my parents always had staff around - maids and cleaners - and they were kind of like extended family."

"Servants," Elphaba acknowledged. "You must be well off."

"My parents are, but since I graduated I've been forced into responsibility. That was two years ago. I think I've done okay for myself."

"You certainly spend enough," Elphaba said.

"I value quality."

"I bet you do."

Galinda became defensive. "I make my own money. I'll use it as I like."

"Right," Elphaba said. She looked restless. "Is this little self fest over, or can I go back to work?"

"Wait," Galinda said, touching Elphaba's arm. Elphaba became abruptly still. Galinda ran her thumb over her skin. "Can I just ask some questions? You don't have to answer them if you really don't want to."

Elphaba met her eye and nodded. Galinda smiled wide. Elphaba settled back on the couch. "Go for it."

"What do you do at night when you come back late?"

"I actually run a successful underground crime syndicate," She said casually. Galinda scoffed.

"Okay, next question. Have you ever worn anything other than shitty band shirts and jeans?"

"No," Elphaba replied with what was meant to be a mockingly sweet smile. Galinda sneered back.

"Dating anyone?"

Elphaba scowled. "None of your business. Are you?"

"Well, I was." Elphaba's scowl receded. Just the possibility of Elphaba pitying her was mortifying. "Anyway, I was asking about you."

"Why did you move into this apartment?"

"It's not really important," She repeated, just as she had said to Fiyero.

Elphaba wasn't Fiyero. She looked intrigued. "Now you refuse to talk about yourself? This must be good."

"Shut up," Galinda said sharply. Elphaba looked astonished. An awkward silence developed between them. Elphaba began to stand up. "It was a bad break," Galinda blurted out. "They threw me out of our apartment. That's why I moved in with you guys."

Elphaba nodded slowly. "Well. I should get back to work."

"Okay." Galinda looked down at her lap. "Um. Thanks for putting up with me."

Elphaba looked back at her with a frown. "Your ex sounds like an asshole." Then she retreated. Galinda stared after her.

By the time she finished her tea and given up on the chips, Galinda still felt as if a heavy stone were in her belly. She hadn't wanted to talk about her stupid breakup. She had hoped to declare it on her various social medias and let it slip by unnoticed, especially because the boy involved - a tall, strapping Gillikin of twenty three - knew her entire extended family. She would never hear the end of it; another 'great catch' that amounted to nothing.

What was worse than that, though, was the shame of it all. She honestly didn't care much for him - she wouldn't be living with Fiyero if she did - but she did care about failure. She cared about that failure being known, and open to judgement. The last person she wanted to tell was her weird, sarcastic, surprisingly pretentious roommate.

Galinda was absolutely sure that, for one reason or another, Elphaba was judging her.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n:** Warning for anyone wary/triggered of drug stuff. there's drug stuff.

**chapter 2**

"You never told me what you study during your little introduction at Ruby's."

Galinda's eyes flicked up from her laptop screen. Elphaba was sitting cross legged on the top of her bed. She had just finished her morning reading, Galinda supposed. She was surprised Elphaba hadn't headed for breakfast as usual. Elphaba was still in her pajamas; a navy shirt that was too big for her and boxers that looked more suited for a teenage boy.

"I major in journalism."

"I am not surprised at all."

"Yeah, well, you'll be shocked to hear I didn't have much of a say in the matter. My parents didn't want me "being too artsy". It's a miracle I'm not studying law." Galinda wrinkled her nose. "I would be an awful lawyer."

"Oh yeah?" Elphaba said boredly. Galinda wondered why she was keeping this conversation up.

"Yes. I would have to wear boring suits. And I would cry whenever people started shouting." Elphaba lifted an eyebrow. Galinda blushed and carried on. "Anyway, journalism is okay. Most of it is about bullshitting, and I am remarkably good at that."

Elphaba snorted. Galinda didn't acknowledge it or the way Elphaba was still looking at her. "What do you want to do?"

"Why are you still talking to me?"

"Because." She looked at Elphaba. "Just because."

"Right," Galinda muttered. She pretended to consider Elphaba's question, as if she hadn't thought about this extensively, and immediately knew her answer. "Architecture and spellcraft as double majors, and a minor in fashion."

Elphaba didn't say anything, but seemed surprised. Galinda waited for some sarcastic comment, but it didn't come. "Have I stunned the future Eminent Thropp into silence? I should get an award."

"Har har. Wait, who told you about that?" Elphaba scowled to herself. "It was Boq, wasn't it? It's always Boq. Thinks its impressive to girls he wants to-"

"Not talking about that," Galinda said quickly. "Anyway, your last name is Thropp. It's not exactly a secret."

"I was only surprised because that's a lot of work. Two majors and a minor. I didn't expect you to be so studious."

"That's part of my feminine charm," Galinda said distractedly, back on her screen.

"Being a bad student? How depressing," Elphaba said thoughtfully.

"More stressful than depressing."

"What do you mean?"

Galinda disengaged herself from her laptop properly. Elphaba actually sounded interested in hearing her thoughts. She had been at the apartment for three weeks now, and while Elphaba would humour Galinda with casual conversation, she still seemed pretty indifferent to Galinda.

"Well, It's just so elaborate. You have to be smart enough to appear educated, but not too smart, so you don't threaten men. I suppose its necessity is depressing."

"Smart enough to effectively play dumb. What a paradox." Elphaba's eyebrows drew together. "Is it necessary?"

"Not in a better world."

"You acknowledge that, yet you still perpetuate it."

"Do I have a choice? I could just go against what this world expects of me, hole up in the woods and refuse to participate, but that wouldn't make any difference." Galinda felt herself getting riled up, but continued. "If I want to make changes I need to have some kind of influence. If I want to have influence, I need to be successful. If I want to be successful, I have to play by their rules."

"Or you could refuse those rules altogether and prove them wrong."

Galinda looked down at her laptop. "I'm not strong enough to do that."

"How disappointing."

Galinda grimaced and ignored Elphaba as she made her way downstairs. She felt the irritating sting of tears and rubbed her eyes hard, then remembered she had makeup on and became frustrated with herself. She shut her laptop and stared angrily on the wall. Her stomach growled.

Her and Elphaba made food, silently ignoring the other as they moved around the small kitchen. Elphaba went back to their room. Galinda decided to sit on the small porch outside the apartment. There were a couple of ragged black iron chairs and a tin table.

Elphaba joined her with a packet of cigarettes and a toasted cheese sandwich. "Mind of I smoke?"

"No."

"This is kind of my place, so if you want to avoid possible lung cancer, I suggest steering clear." Elphaba wedged herself into a seat and lit the cigarette hanging between her lips. She took a long drag. She exhaled away from Galinda. They sat staring over the park opposite their street. There were usually kids playing ball games, but it was overcast and scheduled to rain soon.

"You're interested in architecture."

Galinda supposed this was Elphaba's version of an olive branch. She was tempted to ignore it, but she was too curious about Elphaba. She nodded.

Elphaba looked at her, not saying anything more. Galinda felt awkward, so began to talk. "There was an old Unionist chapel on my family's farm. Lots of water damage and the place was overgrown, but you could still see the carvings, and there were even a few tapestries. It was beautiful." Galinda smiled at a memory. "There was this maze of rooms beneath that my parents never found out about. I hid the entrance. Must have been the maunt's quarters. And even further beneath that was a hall for the dead. I tried going in once, but it was too dark."

"Inspired by the Unnamed God. Very poetic."

"I don't care about the Unnamed God," Galinda dismissed. "It was secret and pretty."

"Those are the buildings you like? Secret and pretty?"

"These days, I prefer contemporary architecture."

"I see," Elphaba said. She tapped the ash from her cigarette, watching Galinda over the table. "Do you have any work here?"

"Yeah."

"Could I see it?"

"I guess," Galinda said slowly. "I never had any professional tools, so its not very good."

Elphaba smiled in a new, rare way. "Not like I could tell the difference."

Galinda spread them over the living room coffee table. Elphaba looked each drawing over silently and right at the end said, "You shouldn't be in journalism." Galinda knew she was impressed. Coming from Elphaba, that felt strangely important, and she allowed herself some pride in her work.

"My parents demand it."

"Have your parents seen your drawings?"

"Yeah."

"They're off their heads."

Galinda felt herself blush and smile. "Thanks."

Elphaba looked away. Galinda studied her sharp profile. She didn't have an altogether displeasing face. Strong, angular features. Handsome, really, from some angles. And the shade of her green skin was nice. She had never seen her skin blemished, though she did have a small scar on her cheek, right near her ear. Her hair was lovely, as always.

Galinda was startled by the front door slamming shut. Boq, Fiyero, and a guy Galinda didn't know entered. She spied Elphaba scowling the moment they walked in.

"Ho there! What's all this?" The guy pushed past Boq and Fiyero and inspected the drawings. "Took another elective, Elphie? These are pretty good."

"These are Galinda's, actually," Fiyero said. Boq was there in a second, full of compliments. "Galinda, this is Avaric Tenmeadows."

"Galinda." Avaric held out his hand with a rakish smile. "And I thought I knew every pretty Gillikin girl in Shiz. I'll have to step up my game."

"I'm from Frottica, so you can forgive yourself," Galinda said, touching his hand briefly. He looked like her ex, but taller, more pure in his lineage. A young Tenmeadows was bound to be a massive narcissist.

"Frottica! What family?"

"Arduenna, of the Upper Uplands."

Avaric's eyes lit up. "You know Abbot? Abbot Fairhaven?"

Galinda felt her stomach sink. "Maybe."

"It's true then? I thought he was lying! Shit. You're way out of his league."

Galinda forced a smile. "Thanks. Me and Abbot, we weren't a good idea, but its over now."

"He's a bore, isn't he?" Avaric said, leaning toward her. She leaned away.

"Shut up Avaric," Elphaba said with exasperation. Avaric scowled at her.

"I'll say what I like."

"She doesn't want to talk about it. How stupid are you?"

"Not stupid enough to listen to a green person."

"That's really your only line of defense, isn't it?"

"How about both of you shut up," Fiyero suggested with a smile. Elphaba scoffed. Avaric eyed Elphaba, then grinned and burst into laughter.

"I'll shut up," Avaric said jovially, slapping Elphaba's back. She didn't budge an inch, and glared at him with pure disdain. "Upsetting you is too easy, Elphie."

"Is there a reason you're here?" Elphaba said in a hard voice. He lifted his hands and stepped away from her.

"We're going out," Fiyero said. "Philosophy Club. Crope and Tibbett are coming too."

"I'm not going," Elphaba said immediately.

"Neither am I," Boq said tiredly.

"Galinda?"

Fiyero and Averic were looking at her expectantly. She glanced at Elphaba. "Sure," She said. "I haven't been clubbing in a while."

"You know, I think I am up for it after all," Boq said very casually.

"I bet you are," Averic drawled, nudging the short red-faced boy at his side. "We'll leave at eight. Fi," Averic said, gesturing to the stairs. Fiyero nodded back. They went up to Fiyero's room.

Galinda watched them curiously, then looked at Elphaba. "What are they doing?"

"Don't know," Elphaba said, clearly lying. Galinda glanced back up the stairs. A thought came to her. She hoped she was wrong. The kind of men Abbot befriended were scum.

The afternoon was Elphaba, Galinda and Boq in the girl's room. Elphaba sat on her bed against the wall, the small window just above her open, a smoke between her fingers. Boq sat on the office chair Galinda had for her desk. Galinda lay on her side, blinking sleepily as they talked. It was idle conversation.

Well, as idle as Elphaba could get. "Nessa still has an ama, but for good reason. She is her arms. Just admit that Munchkinland keeping up those ridiculous social conventions is patronizing and unnecessary!"

"I don't see how its bad. It's not law enforced at all, and it makes sure young ladies such as yourselves are safe."

"People like me are perfectly fine on their own," Elphaba said snappily. Boq rolled his eyes.

"Well, you aren't exactly normal. Galinda, what do you think? Having a fellow lady there to support you."

"I read that areas like Frottica still have amas, at least for younger girls."

"I never had an ama," Galinda said. "I had something like an ama. There was a maid."

"What was her name?"

"Avery. Avery Clutch. Her mother was the cook. She was five years older than me."

"You must tell us more of your life, Galinda," Boq admonished.

"Maybe later," Galinda replied sleepily.

"That's a first."

"You know what? For that, I change my mind," Galinda said. Elphaba narrowed her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

Boq pretended to consider this. "Romantic history?"

"Please, be more transparent."

"Shut up, Elphie."

"My first boyfriend was Fiyero," Galinda said. Both Elphaba and Boq looked somewhere between surprised and horrified. "Just during our final year of high school. He was a good boyfriend, but we broke it off mutually at graduation. We've been close friends ever since."

"I'm surprised Fiyero dated you," Elphaba said.

Galinda felt that like a punch to her stomach.

"Elphie," Boq said quietly. She glanced at him, then at Galinda.

"You two are just really different."

"Yeah," Galinda said. Elphaba and Boq exchanged looks. "After Fiyero, there was a guy named Wilkkin - that lasted a little more than a year - and the most recent was Abbot." Galinda met Elphaba's eye, hoping she would not mention what Galinda had told her.

"They were all Gillikin?" Boq asked.

"Yes."

"Parents wouldn't want anything else," Elphaba said, fiddling with her cigarette.

"Yeah." Galinda was sick of the subject. "So. Why do you smoke?"

Elphaba glanced at the stick in her hand. "They help me keep stable."

"Keep what stable?"

"Lots of things."

"It's unhealthy, Elphie." Boq sounded very serious. Elphaba scoffed.

"Don't get preachy on me again, Boq. Its obnoxious."

"I worry about your health."

"I worry about your health too. I can't believe how it must feel to live with that stick up your ass."

Boq looked at Galinda. "I'm going to go to the library. I'll see you tonight." He stood. "Good luck with her."

"What an asshole," Elphaba said loudly as he walked down the stairs. She looked over at Galinda. "Such a good guy. You should marry him."

"You two seem close."

Elphaba ground out her stub of a cigarette and flicked it out the window. "I've known him forever."

"It's cute." Galinda checked the time on her phone. "Shit. I only have a couple of hours to get ready." She pulled her towel off the wardrobe door. "I'll be getting ready here, so sorry for getting the place wet in advance."

"It's okay. I might _just_ survive."

"I believe in you."

"That meansso much."

When she came from the shower and into their room, no longer dripping but mostly naked, Elphaba was still there. She hadn't expected that. Elphaba was reading, her eyes cast down. Galinda was twenty one. She didn't need to start feeling prudish now. She re-tucked the hem of her towel and began digging through the wardrobe.

She came up with a dress that was probably tighter and shorter than what she should be wearing to the Philosophy Club, but she didn't really care right now. She picked her favourite underwear; black lingerie that had cost her two month's wages. She donned it quickly. She glanced at Elphaba - still reading - and pulled on the dress. For her shoes, she decided on black pigalles.

She sat down at her desk, which she had arranged to double as a vanity, with a mirror and a place for all her makeup and accessories. She began to clean off the makeup she had been wearing that day.

While she had been carefully filling out her eyeliner, she saw Elphaba watching her in the mirror. She met Elphaba's eye, then went back to her eyeliner. "Something to say?"

"I didn't even realise you were wearing makeup earlier."

"That's the point."

"You look perfectly fine without it, you know," Elphaba said. Galinda smiled.

"I know. But I don't want to just look fine." Galinda put the finishing touches on the black under her eye, then capped the liner. "Makeup has two primary functions; self expression, and deceit. Because its an illusion, as all art is. My face with and without are both beautiful, but my face without is always the same. Every time I apply makeup, I am creating a slightly different version of myself, overcoming those limits." Galinda looked at Elphaba through the mirror. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"Anything can seem wonderful, if explained well enough."

"Did I explain it well?"

"You did," Elphaba said. She looked like she wanted to say more, but simply shook her head. "As long as you are doing it only for yourself."

Galinda was actually a little touched by the sentiment. She smiled lopsidedly. "I promise, I am." That wasn't entirely true. She felt bare and insecure without it now. She gazed at herself, recently transformed. "How do you feel when you look in the mirror, Elphaba?" She looked at her.

"I don't know," She said. "I don't think about it much at all."

"You think about everything, Elphaba." That's all Galinda said, sensing her discomfort. She started on her lips, a full and classic red.

Half an hour later, she slipped on her shoes and took up a black and gold clutch. "Have a nice night, Elphie."

"Oh god, another person using that stupid nickname."

Galinda had said it accidentally. "Well, it suits you! Softens your edges a little."

"I don't need to be softened."

"Goodnight, Elphie."

She grimaced. "Yes, goodnight."

The Philosophy Club was on the night-strip of Shiz, where all the best bars and clubs and cafes were. The club didn't have or need any clear signs or introductions; it was an abrupt set of huge, inwardly-opening metal doors. They were black and immaculate, and in the right-top corner of the left door there was a rustic brass inlay saying, "The Philosophy Club". There were two bouncers just at the doors - a muscular Kangaroo and a broad Munchkinlander - and past them were a descent of stairs. You could feel the bass from the street.

Her and Fiyero had intentionally dressed to match. His top was from the same designer as her dress, and they had matching eyeliner; black and smoky, with a light glitter as a highlight. They entered with their arms linked. Avaric lagged behind.

When they entered, Avaric grabbed their shoulders. "Welcome to the love club, losers." Galinda and Fiyero exchanged amused smiles.

Galinda was briefly overwhelmed by the size and energy of the main dancefloor. The beat of the lights matched the beat of the music. Avaric called out that he had seen Boq, and dragged Fiyero down to find him. Galinda stood and surveyed the building. Everything was black, or navy, or bright white and yellow. The underlights on the bar were the only steady lighting in the room. Galinda was briefly confused by the ceiling. Parts of it were mirror, reflecting the dance floor below. Others were stained glass looking into what looked like small rooms from below. There were people in the rooms, moving, some standing and some laying down. She looked away and continued down the stairs.

She was immediately absorbed into the crush of close bodies. She pushed toward the light of the bar. She felt a lot of sticky skin and disembodied hands, on her arms and waist and hips. Sometimes there was the brush of course fur or cool scales, paws and claws, their hooked nails catching against her dress.

Galinda had never been to the Philosophy Club, but she had been to enough places like it to settle in fast. She moved with the crowd and successfully emerged at the bar. She spotted the guys a little further down.

"Galinda! I was worried," Boq said, his hands coming to her shoulders. She shrugged them off, but smiled at him.

"I'm okay," She said loudly. "I need a drink!"

"I ordered for you," Fiyero said, pushing something pink and tall into her hand. "I just asked for the sweetest mix he could make."

"You're an angel, Fiyero."

"I know."

"Come do shots with me, Fi!"

Galinda couldn't see Fiyero's face too clearly in the light of the club, but she was sure she saw him tense up. He sat next to Avaric. Galinda sipped at her drink, looking at the crowd.

Boq moved to stand close to her. "Hey," He shouted.

"Hi." He stood next to her and didn't say anything, fidgeting with the beer in his hand. "Is it just me, or is there a lot of Animals here?"

"I guess there is," He said loudly and unsurely. "Um, would you like to dance?"

Galinda attempted another half hearted smile and pushed past him, going to Fiyero and Avaric. They were both on their third shot. "Slow down honey," Galinda said, touching Fiyero's arm. He looked at her and put aside the fourth.

"Quit ruining our fun, Blondie," Avaric said clumsily.

"Quit wrecking my friend."

She saw a flash of Avaric scowling, then he was charging off into the dancing crowd. She took the fourth shot and finished it herself. "Let's dance."

She didn't trust anyone in this club, and she knew Fiyero wouldn't try anything, so she danced close to him and - with some effort - let go a little. Her and Fiyero started doing some stupid dance and laughing harder than necessary. Fiyero stopped, and held her arm, peering at her closely. He tried to say something over the music but Galinda couldn't make it out. He gave up. He leaned close to her and yelled, "I'm going to the bathroom." She nodded and smiled reassuringly. He left with a concerned glance. Then everything got weird.

Her vision seemed to lag; the scene became confusing and she lost her footing, bumping into a few people. She grabbed someone's arm to steady herself. She looked around for the light of the bar, which took considerably more effort than last time, then began making her way toward it.

Someone touched her shoulder and turned her around. A Gillikin, not Avaric or Abbot, but so much like them. His hands were on her waist. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She called back automatically. He started dancing with her, and she wasn't sure how to react. He was touching her too much, but it felt dulled, or muffled. Then a hand was on her jaw, and he was kissing her, and that felt muffled too, as if they were kissing through a thick blanket.

Galinda hadn't kissed someone in a long time, though she didn't think this could be considered her actually kissing someone. She was absolutely still, her hands on his arms. Then she felt a surge of energy and shoved away from him. He tried to grab her arm as she forced herself through the crowd.

She found herself in an empty corridor with glary fluorescent light and bare white brick walls. She fell against the wall, her breaths coming fast. Her hands were sweaty and trembling, and her chest hurt, and her breathing wasn't calming down. Every moment it only got more shallow, more painful.

The doors slammed open, and Fiyero was in front of her. She grabbed his arms hard. He held her steady and looked her over. "Galinda, are you okay?" She couldn't speak because she could barely breath. "Is she… are you high?" Fiyero's hands were on her face, looking into her eyes. "Shit. She's high. She's fucking high. Why is she fucking high? Avaric, what the fuck did you do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything! I was with you the whole time! You were the one who ordered her drink!"

"All she had was that drink and the shot."

"What? She had the shot?"

"Yeah," Fiyero said. Galinda's chest didn't feel like it was underneath something heavy anymore. She opened her eyes and saw Fiyero staring at Avaric, his face red and contorted. "What did you do to the shot?"

"Okay, so maybe I put something in the shot. It was meant for you!"

"You tried to fucking drug me!?"

"I've had some too! It isn't a fucking date rape drug. It's a stimulant."

"Rak vikkar, how could you be so - how could you think thats okay!?" Fiyero stood. Galinda had never seen him so enraged. "I can't believe you were going to drug me! That is seriously the most fucked up thing I have ever heard! What the fuck is wrong with you, Avaric!?"

"Whoa," Boq said. He had just come through the double doors. He was staring at Fiyero and Avaric, then he saw Galinda, and rushed toward her. "Galinda! Galinda, are you okay? What is going on!?"

"We need to get her out of here." Galinda felt herself get scooped up and lifted, vertigo spinning the hallway around them. "Let's go back to the house. You are not fucking coming with us."

"We've barely been here for an hour."

"Are you serious? Avaric, she's like, passed out!" Galinda lost track of Boq and Avaric when Fiyero guided them through an emergency exit. She felt a little better out in the fresh air, and wiggled in Fiyero's arms.

He stopped. "Are you okay?"

"Put me down." He did. She leant against the wall of the building. "I'm okay."

"Really? Because you didn't look okay."

"I was just confused." She was still confused, but whatever else had seized her had passed. "There was a guy… he freaked me out. It wasn't anything strong." She managed what she hoped was a smile. "See? All good."

"Not all good. I hope this shit doesn't last too long."

"Avaric spiked your drink." Galinda stared up at Fiyero as he held her waist, helping her walk steady. "Thats fucked up."

"Yeah," Fiyero said quietly.

Boq caught up with them and they all walked back to the house. Tibbett let them in.

"Where were you two?"

"We decided to stay home. We texted Avaric about it. He didn't tell you?"

"Fucking Avaric," Fiyero muttered.

Galinda fell into the couch. Fiyero relayed the story to Crope and Tibbett. They looked horrified and intrigued. Both of them sat either side of Galinda. "Boq, put on some tea and make a sandwich. Food will help."

"We'll take care of you," Crope said, patting Galinda's shoulder. She smiled at him. Then her vision became blurry, and she was crying. "Oh boy."

"I made out with a guy that I didn't know," She sobbed. "He was just so insistent… and he looked like Abbot… that prick. Ugh." She rubbed at her eyes. "Why do all of them look the same? These stupid rich boys."

"That's just Gillikins really," Tibbett muttered. Crope shoved him. "What? Oh, I don't mean you, Galinda. Your dress looks amazing!"

"Doesn't it?" Galinda said tearfully, tugging on it. "The designer is Aavark De-…" She broke out into sobs again.

"Okay, you need some tea," Crope said gently. He snapped his fingers. Boq hurried over with a mug. "Here you go. Don't burn yourself. There you are." She sighed as the warmth of the milky tea spread through her.

She finished her tea and ate the sandwich, then they helped her upstairs and passed her off to Elphaba, much to Elphaba's displeasure. "What am I meant to do with her?"

"Help her get into something more comfortable and tuck her into bed!"

Elphaba paled. "You want me to undress her."

"If she needs the help."

"I don't," Galinda said. The boys looked at her with concern. "I didn't lose my hands. I'm just a little unsteady. I'll be fine."

Galinda first took off her heels. They were lovely, but they were only making things harder. She went over to the wardrobe. Elphaba closed the door and turned to watch her. "You can barely walk in a straight line."

"Shush. I'm fine! I just need to get out of this dress." She reached back and managed to force the zip down, then shimmied the dress down to fall around her feet. She stepped back but stumbled, and Elphaba moved forward to stop her falling over. Galinda grabbed Elphaba's arms, steadying herself. "I am okay."

"That's… That's good." Elphaba glanced at Galinda, then down, and then looked at the wall. "Wow. Okay. What do you wear to bed?"

"Don't care," Galinda said. "I wanna sleep now. Oh, but, not in a bra!" She giggled and reached back to unhook it. Elphaba's eyes widened.

"Whoa, hey, how about you do than in bed? Under your covers?"

"Um, Elphie? I can barely do this. Standing up." She yanked and the hooks came free. "That feels nice," she sighed as she threw it toward her bed. Elphaba had a hand over her eyes. "Elphie, you're not a teenage boy."

Elphaba removed her hand, her cheeks flushed. "I know I'm not! It's just... very distracting."

"So is covering your eyes."

Elphaba struggled for a reply. "Just get into bed."

"Help me."

"What happened to you being fine?"

"I'm drugged! Help me you... meanie!"

Elphaba slipped a bare arm around her waist. Her skin was cool, and Galinda liked the feel of it. Galinda fell into her bed, yanking Elphaba forward to lean over her. "Thanks," She said with a smile. She looked at Elphaba's face up close. Her eyes were really dark. Her lips were greyish and thin. Her hair, dark and lustrous, spilled around her face and shoulders. For a split moment, there was something attractive about her. Galinda let go of Elphaba and looked away, pulling her covers up to her chin.

Elphaba straightened. "Right, well. Goodnight, Galinda."

"Goodnight, Elphie."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Galinda was woken by a dull slamming noise. She sat up slowly and stared bleary eyed into their dark room. Everything was still, except Elphaba was not in her bed but at the door. It was slightly ajar, and she was staring out into the hallway. Galinda checked the time on her phone. Four twenty-seven. She stood and went groggily over to Elphaba, leaning to glance out in the hall. "Keep quiet," Elphaba murmured. Galinda was too sleepy to be exasperated, and simply nodded. She could hear shouting. "It's Avaric and Fiyero."

"Oh. What's going on with them?"

"Not right now."

Fiyero's door burst open, Avaric marching out into the hallway. "You're making a big deal of nothing, as usual. I'm going home."

"Good! That's what I wanted you to fucking do from the start, Avaric! But you just don't listen."

Avaric stopped and scowled, the shadows of the dark hall twisting his face. "You're as bad as those fucking girls." Then he left. Fiyero stepped up to the doorway and lingered, then shut the door.

Galinda realised she was pressed against Elphaba and stepped back quickly. Elphaba shut the door and looked at her. "I'm not sure what they're doing."

"You know more than me."

"They're having sex," Elphaba supplied. Galinda's eyes widened, though she had suspected. "I know. It makes no sense, but that's what they're doing." Elphaba sat on her bed. Galinda took her desk chair, rolling to sit before Elphaba.

"A Gillikin and a Vinkan," Galinda mused. Elphaba gave her a withering look. "What?"

"You dated Fiyero."

"Oh, I - I don't mean to sound like that. It's more because Avaric is a rich, Gillikin guy." Elphaba raised a brow. "I know his type. Guys like him don't care about the people they sleep with. A strong, Vinkan man like Fiyero is… an unexpected target."

"I don't understand why him being Vinkan comes into it."

"Because."

"Because?"

Galinda became uncomfortable. "I don't know. It just does."

"No, I'm really very curious to hear where exactly that came from."

"Elphaba, I'm too tired for this," Galinda said quietly. Elphaba grimaced.

"Well, you might be onto something with the strong man part."

Galinda blinked. "Really?"

Elphaba leaned forward on her elbows and folded her hands together, pressing her forefingers to her lips. "I'm concerned about Avaric's intentions. If he wanted a play thing, why go for someone as capable as Fiyero?"

"Assuming they're playing," Galinda said. Elphaba scoffed.

"Avaric doesn't deserve Fiyero in any way. Fiyero knows that. At least he does intellectually. Perhaps he doesn't believe it."

Galinda rubbed the sleep from her eyes lazily. "Maybe we could talk to him in the morning?"

"It's none of our business," Elphaba muttered distractedly.

"I guess." Galinda frowned at Elphaba. "How are you all, like, thinky. At four in the morning."

"Haven't slept. I didn't feel like taking anything either, so I just kind of…" Elphaba shrugged her shoulders. Galinda nodded.

"Well, I'm going back to bed. You can go on your laptop or something. I mean, the light wouldn't bother me. That's why I said that."

"I figured," Elphaba said with a small smile. Galinda smiled back. She stayed on the chair for an awkward moment, then went over to her bed.

"Goodnight, Elphie."

Elphaba opened her laptop, the blue light of its screen illuminating her face in the dark. "Goodnight."

The next morning, Elphaba was exactly like she always was, from what Galinda could tell, while Fiyero was incredibly irritable. Nobody said anything, though it was obvious they had all heard the argument last night. All six of them were in the livingroom and kitchen space, and it was way too quiet for their group. Galinda decided to break the silence.

"So, I'm going to a free talk today! At the Redwick community centre. It's on modern perceptions of spellcraft. I'm not sure if any of you are interested in that, but you can join me if you want." She lay the brochure on the kitchen counter. Elphaba barely glanced up from her tea making.

Tibbett picked up the brochure. "Seven thirty. I'm game. Can we have dinner before? There's this great little restaurant just around the block from this building. Crope, you're in too, right?"

"Sure."

"I'll go," Boq added. "I'll have to meet you at the centre."

"Your parents again?"

"I'm having dinner with dad. It's obnoxious as hell, but he always books places so high above his paycheck I feel guilty not going." Boq looked at the brochure over Tibbett's shoulder. "MICA?"

"Mica is the official name of spellcraft as a subject. It's an acronym for the four schools of spells."

"I am surprised I didn't know that," Boq said, red with embarrassment.

"I didn't know that term either," Crope added. "Mica. Cute."

"I didn't know you were interested in… mica," Boq said slowly. "That said, I don't know the first thing about it myself. Perhaps I've been missing out."

"I've heard its wild and dangerous, and full of potential," Tibbett said, grinning.

"Wasn't there some study that showed it fucks your brain up?"

"And people get addicted to it. Start putting spells on themselves."

"Well, people can get addicted to anything!"

"Well, spellcraft isn't exactly harmless, is it?"

Galinda forced a smile. "I'm sure all this will be in the talk. Redwick usually has good speakers, and I promise it will be interesting. We'll leave at six?"

The boys agreed. Fiyero had retreated to his room, while Elphaba had gone out ot the porch. Galinda wanted to ask what Elphaba thought of mica, but went to get ready for her classes instead.

That night, Crope and Tibbett met her on the corner of the Redwick building. Tibbett held out both his arms, saying a polite, "Ladies." Galinda took the offered arm gingerly. The couple were dressed to match, casual but elegant, with Crope in a dress and Tibbett in a relaxed suit.

The restaurant they lead her to was called the Alabaster Sea, and was mostly white and blue, with gold and brass trimmings. The front of the restaurant was a wall of glass doors that folded back and let the establishment spill out onto the sidewalk. In the middle of the restaurant floor was a fire pit covered in iron grate that had meat roasting over it. Otherwise, it was a typical inner-Shiz restaurant. Crope and Tibbett bee lined for a table near the fire.

"So, why this place?"

"They serve food from Ev here," Crope said. "You ever had sol made by an Eve person? It's amazing. Like, orgasmic. It's so good."

"Cool," Galinda said, regretting using the word a moment later. Something about Crope and Tibbett intimidated her. Maybe it was how good they looked. Crope could rock a dress effortlessly.

Crope seemed to sense her anxiety. He glanced at Tibbett. "When were you last in Ev?"

"It must have been about eight months ago," Tibbett said. "In Tey Savor. My family lives there. That was after my dad died."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Galinda said softly but Tibbett just waved his hand.

"It's the way of things."

"His parents were tailors - well, his mother was more of a business woman. This guy made half our clothes." Crope bumped his shoulder against Tibbett's.

Galinda's mouth fell open, somewhere between excitement and envy. "You need to show me what you made when we get home! I want to study fashion myself."

"You design clothes?"

Galinda felt herself blush. "Not quite. I just like pretty things."

"We have that in common," Crope said with a grin. "You ever need anything, our wardrobe is open. Oh, we could have a fashion show!"

"And make Elphie and Boq sit through it," Tibbett said mischievously.

Crope scoffed. "Boq wouldn't be complaining. The boy practically drools when I bend over. Can't blame him."

"I wouldn't mind seeing him bent over," Tibbett mused.

"You know what they say about Munchkin meat." Crope and Tibbett descended into giggles. Galinda watched on, blushing at the implication. "Then again! Our very own Elphie is a Munchkinlander himself."

"You think he's packing?"

Crope sighed. "Late at night, I dream of it."

"And with that tall, lean body."

"Waitress!" Galinda called.

They looked as if they had forgotten she was there. Crope lit up. "How is living with Elphie?"

"Fine," Galinda said. The boys stared at her. "It's fine! I mean. She's an interesting person, as you know."

"Interesting," Tibbett repeated slowly.

"Elphie is an experience," Crope said with a coy smile. "Level with us, Galinda."

"I'm not sure what you expect me to say."

"Look, everyone goes through it. After a month or so of knowing him, sharing his space, you start to feel things. It's a given with Elphaba. It's because he's so mysterious."

Galinda was taken aback. "I don't have a crush on Elphaba, or whatever you're trying to say."

Crope narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you straight?"

"I - well-"

"Because I wonder. I'm getting vibes, you know?" Crope glanced at Tibbett, and he nodded back.

"Definitely. The vibes are there."

"I'm sorry, I'm not quite comfortable talking about that," Galinda managed. They fell back and took to explaining the dishes on the menu. Galinda ordered a safe dish of chicken and a curious grain that was native to Ev. They had described it as 'The mildest dish that was still interesting'. Tibbett had pork in jerk seasoning, while Crope had a vegetarian soup.

She didn't feel wholly comfortable with Crope and Tibbett. Perhaps it was their blunt spontaneity, though she was used to that in the kinds of boys she was taught to attract. Those boys were always somehow malicious about it, though. Their spontaneity was a threat, not a charm. Even though Crope and Tibbett were so different, there was a shadow of the quality of those boys in them, somehow. The shadow of that was only more unsettling, somehow; she knew Gillikin men, and all their malice. She didn't know what Ev made of their men.

"So, you never mentioned how you grew up, Crope." They had finished eating and still had half an hour till the talk. Crope folded his hands elegantly, looking away in consideration.

"I grew up in south Ev, on a farm."

"Hey, I grew up on a farm too!"

"Your farm probably wasn't like this one," Crope said with amusement. "They had cattle, and there were drovers that moved the cattle from station to station, but mostly they were growing rakka."

Galinda looked puzzled. Tibbett dived in to help. "Rakka is a fine root that's dried and ground up and made into pills. You ever heard of R-Kay?"

"That's a party drug, right?"

"It's rakka," Tibbett said. Galinda looked between them.

"You were raised on a drug farm," Galinda said incredulously.

"My parents needed money."

"The south is so far from the capital, nobody bothers with it. It's unmonitored land."

"The area I was in is called the Mesa," Crope said. "Off the grid. We fetched our water from a well every day, had huge stone pits to keep food fresh, since there was no power."

Galinda wasn't sure what to say, and so went with, "That sounds awful." The way Crope smirked made her feel silly.

"It's the way of things."

"So…How did you two meet?"

"Cousin of his was a friend of one of my parent's buyers. We were invited to a wedding, and Tibbett was there." They were smiling at each other fondly. "I moved to Tey Savor to study soon after. When we graduated high school, we came here."

"You've only been here for a year?"

"My mum's Gillikin, so it didn't feel like a huge change," Tibbett said.

"Ev's are taught Ozian from ten years old anyway." Crope smiled at her in his pretty, cunning way. "What about you? You're from Frottica, right? I bet you were always the perfect little socialite."

"Not quite. I had an unconventional childhood," she said vaguely, "But it's not important."

"More unconventional than mine?" Crope quipped.

"I think you have me beat there."

"What a relief."

"Mostly, I was just raised to marry," Galinda said with a sombre smile. "My parents are old fashioned."

"So what, cooking and cleaning?" Tibbett made a face. "Lame."

"I happen to like cooking and cleaning," Crope said with a look at Tibbett. "And I bet that's why your makeup is so good, too."

Galinda felt some inexplicable need to defend her childhood, and blurted out, "I was taught to hunt."

Crope and Tibbett both sat back. "A young Gillikin girl, taught to hunt?"

"Hunt what?"

"With what tools?"

"Rifle mostly," Galinda said quietly. Crope and Tibbett seemed to look her over, a little critical. "No brothers. My dad really wanted to do his fatherly bonding duties." It was a weak response.

"Your parents sound weirder than I thought. Lets go to Frottica."

"They're really boring, actually."

"Everyone's parents are boring to them. My parents are boring to me, and they sell drugs."

"Her parents are middle class Gillikin farmers," Tibbett said slowly. Crope snickered.

"You have a point."

"We might get deported if we get too far north."

"Well, they aren't that bad," Galinda said. Crope and Tibbett cut their eyes at each other.

"We'll judge that for ourselves. Okay, next subject. Marriage. That means cute guys. Tell us about them." Tibbett cheered.

"Pretty cute I guess," Galinda said. They waited. Crope pouted.

"You're so not straight."

"The cutest guy I ever dated was Fiyero," Galinda admitted. Crope and Tibbett reacted simultaneously, both of them exclaiming - in various ways - how true this was and the specifics of why and how Fiyero was so attractive. Crope turned on her suddenly, almost violently.

"You need to tell us all about what's in his pants."

"Yes. Hell yes."

Galinda blushed fiercely. "No! Are you kidding? Fiyero would be outraged!"

Crope and Tibbett groaned. "She has morals!"

Galinda eyed the surrounding patrons surreptitiously, and leaned close to them, like they were exchanging some devious plan. "He's above average." She leaned back. "That's all I'll say."

Crope shut his eyes. "You have given us a gift this day, and we thank you for it."

"Guys, the talk starts in like. Thirty seconds." Tibbett looked up from his phone. "Who's paying?"

They split the bill and rushed across the street to the building. Boq waved his position to them. Crope and Tibbett sat either side of him, both of them draping their arms over the back of his chair, smiling down at him charmingly. Galinda sat beside Crope and got a pat on the knee.

The host was a peppy Munchkinlander with shiny, slicked back hair. The four panel members were mostly Gillikins. She knew of Morrible - she was the headmaster at the Emerald City Mica University - and the two other Gillikins, but had never heard of the Quadling, Turtle Heart. Each panel member was representing a school of magic. She had supposed his was Conjuration, but learnt it was in fact Illusion.

The talk was good, though it wasn't as beginner-friendly as she thought it would be. After, the boys said they had kept up and that it was good, and didn't say much beyond that. Galinda wasn't sure if she should feel anxious or relieved.

When they got home, Elphaba was sitting on the roof of the porch. Boq grumbled about the cold and went inside. Galinda and Crope and Tibbett stood on the street, looking up at her.

"Whatcha doin' baby?" Crope called. Elphaba looked as if she wouldn't reply, staring vaguely down the street. Then she looked at them.

"I was waiting just for you."

"I don't believe that for a second."

"Clever boy."

"Can we come up?" Tibbett shouted. Elphaba's eyebrows rose. Crope was already heading over to one of the posts of the porch.

"You could just climb out through Fiyero's window," Elphaba said.

"Is that how you got up there?" Galinda asked, her arms folded for warmth. Elphaba eyed her.

"I climbed the front."

Crope stumbled up next to Elphaba. "I feel like I'm on top of the world!"

"You are easily pleased, it seems."

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"He isn't," Tibbett said teasingly, now on the roof himself. "He's a demanding bastard."

"You love a challenge."

"Galinda, what are you doing?" Elphaba said. The boys peeked over the roof to see Galinda with her arms around one of the posts.

"I'm coming up."

"Not in those shoes," Elphaba said. Galinda narrowed her eyes.

"Have you even looked at Crope? He's wearing six inch platform pumps. With a stiletto heel. These are wedges. I'm fine."

"Shit, how did you get up here?" Elphaba muttered, scoping Crope's shoes. He shrugged.

Galinda stepped up on the top of the wall of the porch and reached for the edge of the roof. The supports of the roof had simple carvings in the wood, and it was old, peeling, textured wood that would grip. She pulled herself up to cling to the support. While she could lift herself - with enough momentum - she wasn't wearing the right bra for scaling anything, and the heels were really not helping. She didn't trust the gutter to not simply fall to pieces if she tried lifting herself.

"Galinda, I don't think this is a good idea."

"I'm getting on the roof, Elphie."

"Don't call me that," Elphaba said quickly. She blinked. "And stop climbing up here! You'll ruin your pretty dress."

"To see the look on your face? I can live with that." She hoped to the Unnamed God her dress wouldn't suffer for this. If it did, she would probably blame it on Elphaba anyway.

"You're climbing up on a porch roof to, what, prove me wrong? When there is nothing to prove? I'm sure you are capable of getting up here. It's not that hard. But you're in heels and a fancy dress."

"This dress isn't fancy, it just looks good," Galinda said offhandedly.

"She's right," Crope said. Elphaba gave him a look. "Sorry."

Galinda's heel slipped, and she yelped, scrambling for a steady grip. Elphaba grasped her arm solidly. Galinda looked up at Elphaba, and Elphaba nodded. Galinda let go of the gutter and held fast to Elphaba's arm.

She expected Elphaba to simply steady her, but Elphaba was stronger than she anticipated - much stronger - and lifted her, until she could wind her other arm around Galinda, dragging her up onto the roof. Galinda found herself pressed close to Elphaba, her hands on her shoulders, legs dangling half over Elphaba's and half off the roof. She could feel her roommate's muscles jumping beneath her hands. She would be lying if she said she hadn't noticed the rise and flex of Elphaba's bicep and shoulders as she lifted her, and she would be lying if she said she felt uncomfortable with Elphaba holding her.

She pushed away from Elphaba and stood quickly, slipping very briefly from the tin roof's slight angle, the boys - and Elphaba - twitching to help her. She held up her hands. "I'm good."

"Very heroic, Elphie," Tibbett said with a smirk.

Crope nestled himself into Tibbett's side. "Right? I was swooning. So powerful."

Elphaba fell back against the wall beside Fiyero's window. Crope and Tibbett decided to sit on the edge with their legs folded together and hanging over the edge. Galinda sat beside Elphaba.

"Why are you up here?"

"Felt like it." Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Why are you?"

"Felt like it," Galinda drawled. Elphaba scoffed. "I wanted to talk to you," Galinda said quietly.

"About what?"

"About anything, I just wanted to talk."

Elphaba frowned. "Talking generally requires a topic."

"Yes." Galinda looked at her hands, folded together and fiddling in her lap. "What do you think of spellcraft?" Elphaba lifted a shoulder, a half hearted shrug. Galinda was perplexed. "You don't have an opinion?"

"I generally prefer having some measure of knowledge on a subject before forming an opinion. I know little of spellcraft, except what is passed around."

"Of course," Galinda said with a little smile. "You should have come to the talk with us."

"I had plans."

Galinda looked at her a little incredulously. "Doing what?"

"Reading."

"Right," Galinda muttered. She looked at Elphaba, her lips pressed into a thin line. She wasn't sure she should say what she thought to. She decided to go for it. "I don't see you going out much."

"I go out all the time."

"To socialize," Galinda said. "With friends and stuff."

"That's not really my style."

Galinda grimaced. "It's just… well, I wondered if it was because you were worried about your skin. You shouldn't be! You're smart and considerate. People like that."

Elphaba looked at Galinda with an irritation she hadn't seen in weeks and said, with a sharpish voice, "Don't patronize me, Galinda."

Elphaba stood up, suddenly cold. Galinda wanted to follow her but couldn't. She felt like someone had nailed her to her spot. As Elphaba climbed out through the window, she saw Crope and Tibbett peering at them with curious looks.

"He looks like he's in a huff," Crope said when Elphaba was gone.

"I said something I probably shouldn't have."

"Give him a few hours to settle before you talk to him, if that's what you're planning."

Galinda looked at the window, then went to climb through it. Fiyero was on his bed. He watched her climb in and smiled when they looked at each other, but didn't say anything, and looked away. Galinda stared at the open door, wrestling with herself, then decided to take Crope's advice. She wandered over and sat on Fiyero's bed. "How are you, honey?"

"I'm okay," He said quietly. He was half reclined against the wall, his laptop in his lap. He closed it. "I think I might nap."

"Is that what you need?" Galinda asked. Fiyero looked away. "Fiyero, I haven't known you since you were a baby or whatever, but I still know you pretty well. You need a day out. And a shower. You know bad hygiene brings your mood down."

"I know," Fiyero muttered. "Fine, you're right. What were you thinking?"

"I'm free all day Saturday. We can go where ever you want. It'll be Fiyero day." Fiyero managed a small smile. "I'm probably going to shop at some point, though. Just so you know."

"Shopping sounds good," Fiyero said with a little perk. "These last few days of crippling inactivity have kind of helped my wallet, actually."

Galinda grinned. "You should get moody at Avaric more often."

Fiyero's smile dampened. He cleared his throat. "It's not about Avaric - or, well, it is. But not about Avaric himself, so much as…" Fiyero sighed. "I don't know what I'm saying."

"We don't need to talk about it."

"I should. I've been sitting on this long enough now."

Galinda nodded and took his hand, squeezing it. He moved his laptop to his bedside table and sat up.

"First of all, I don't have any feelings for Avaric. He's a terrible person. In fact, he's possibly the most terrible person I have ever met, and I think I - I think I genuinely hate him."

"Shit," Galinda said. "I didn't think you were capable of hate."

"I know." He shrugged a shoulder. "This is at least the closest I have gotten."

There was a pregnant pause. Galinda decided to push forward. "Then, why…?"

"Why fuck him?" Fiyero said. Galinda hadn't expected the wording, but nodded. "I don't know. There's something that feels good about it."

"Good how? You could pick up as many guys as you wanted at any bar in Shiz, Fiyero. If you're working off steam-"

"It's not that," Fiyero said. He pressed the heel of his hand to his eyes. "There's just… It's like, everything that was building goes away after, and I feel normal again."

"What is it that builds up?"

"Frustration. Anxiety. Restlessness. It's a habit now, I guess."

"But he clearly hurts you," Galinda said. Fiyero nodded slowly. "So it's not healthy."

"I know," Fiyero said in a small voice.

Galinda grimaced. "Maybe you should just cut off from him. I mean, that's basically what you're doing now."

"I'm in a spiral right now," Fiyero said. He took a deep breath. "I'm used to assholes like Avaric. His existence doesn't bother me. It's just the relationship we have that's messing me up."

"So end the relationship. By cutting him off."

"I can't do that," Fiyero dismissed.

"Why not?"

"He's friends with Boq and Crope and Tibbett. We would constantly be meeting, and it would upset the group. And it's just unnecessary, anyway."

Galinda wasn't sure how to respond. She wanted to support Fiyero because he was raw right now, but he sounded like he was lying to himself. Lying to himself very blatantly. She squeezed his hands. "Okay."

"About Fiyero day…"

"Yeah?"

"Can Elphaba come?"

Galinda's stomach twisted at the thought.

"Sure."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"No."

Elphaba was eating a toasted cheese sandwich - what she had every breakfast and lunch - with a cup of tea in her hand, still in her boxers. Fiyero and Galinda were dressed to match in street chic, warm tones. Elphaba had been suspicious the moment they had stepped before her, cornering her in their apartment's small kitchen.

"You owe me," Fiyero said firmly. "It's meant to be my day. Fiyero day. Remember when I bought you all those drinks at that bar?"

"You bought me those drinks at that bar because it was a bar I didn't want to go to. It was an equal exchange, Fiyero!"

"It was a drag bar! How could you _not_ want to go to a drag bar!?"

"I'm not going shopping with you!"

"Oh shut up, both of you," Galinda interjected. Elphaba looked appropriately embarrassed. "Elphie, why won't you just come with us?"

"I have no money. I don't need to buy anything. I have homework I could be doing. And most importantly, _I don't want to go_," she said slowly. "That should be enough for you."

Galinda wondered if this was about their disagreement on the roof a few days ago. They hadn't talked much since then. Galinda knew she had crossed a line - some kind of special Elphaba line - but she still thought she was kind of right. Elphaba needed to get outside.

"Elphaba, if you come with us, we'll go to Jackyll books. For like, half an hour. Maybe a hour." Elphaba stared at Fiyero blankly. He huffed. "You drive a hard bargain, Elphie. We'll go to that Munchkinland restaurant you like. I'll pay."

"Deal," Elphaba said.

They went to the Shiz Central Market first. It was a huge, sprawling series of complexes full of vans and stalls. Anything could be found at the CSM, at various qualities. They combed the entire place slowly.

Elphaba stopped dead in front of a large corner stall overflowing with second hand books. Fiyero and Galinda watched incredulously as she went to the start of the pile - if there could be a part of the pile considered 'the start' - and began to look over every single book, one at a time.

"You're never going to get through the whole lot, Elphie."

"You can go off. Come fetch me when you're done. I am perfectly happy here."

"Not happening," Galinda said, grasping her arm and tugging. "We're going to that place Fiyero mentioned, right? We had a deal."

"The deal never specified what exactly I would be doing during this little day trip," Elphaba said shortly.

"Its Fiyero day. It's about Fiyero."

"It's about me."

"There's a book I've been looking for and these aren't in any clear order."

Galinda frowned. "Just ask the owner."

Elphaba glanced at the Munchkinlander sitting behind one of the book-covered tables, flicking through a magazine. "They wouldn't have all these catalogued, would they?"

"Couldn't hurt to ask. What's it called?"

"Invisible Cities."

Galinda went over to the salesman, her hand still holding Elphaba's arm. "Excuse me, sir." The Munchkinlander looked up and smiled at both of them, in the way shop owners do. "Do you know if you have a copy of Invisible Cities?"

"It has a plain white cover," Elphaba pitched in. The man's look lingered over Elphaba.

"She is in line to be the eminent Thropp," Galinda said with a little smile. The man looked at Galinda and then at Elphaba, his expression neutral, bordering on irritation. Elphaba looked uncomfortable.

"I have it, yes. Calvvano." He went to a few of the piles and eventually came back with it. "Ten please." Elphaba paid him and took the book.

"Thanks."

"Your Eminence," He muttered. Elphaba pulled Galinda to where Fiyero was pouring over a range of Ix imitation trinkets.

He smiled as they came up. "Got your book?"

"Yep."

"What was all that about?" Galinda asked quietly. Elphaba glanced at her.

"My family, while politically irrelevant, are not the most popular people in Munchkinland."

"What happened?"

"Nothing really," Elphaba said casually, her and Galinda walking a step behind Fiyero, their arms still linked. "They are rich and privileged where the rest of Munchkinland are not. My family does little to make up for it. It rubs the people the wrong way, as it should. They are scum, really. Greedy scum."

"Every middle class family in Gillikin is greedy scum," Galinda said.

"Well, you seem to celebrate that here."

Galinda didn't know how to reply, and instead eyed the book in Elphaba's hand curiously. "What's with the book?"

Elphaba looked at it. "It's something I was recommended."

"What's it about?"

"Don't know."

Most of the stalls were not run by Gillikins. Most of the stalls were run by Munchkinlanders, but some were Vinkans and Quadlings, and Ix and Eves. Some stalls sold rare, authentic items from their own countries, but most sold cheap imitations of just about anything you could think of.

Fiyero lingered at the various mens clothes stalls. There was a Quadling man selling hand made leather jackets. The stall was not tables with items laid out, but a large steel barred box. When they walked in, the walls of the box had dozens of racks of leather jackets and coats hanging around them. Fiyero and Galinda began commenting on the various jackets, holding them up against Fiyero. The shopkeeper rushed over and sized Fiyero up.

"You like blue?"

"I like yellow. Blue and yellow."

"I know. I know just the things for you." He collected four or five jackets from around the shop and Fiyero and Galinda judged them. Fiyero decided on a black jacket that emphasized his shoulders and had a stripe of yellow across the chest.

When Elphaba came in, apparently bored of waiting inside, the shopkeeper lit up. He took her hand. She bristled visibly. "I know just the thing! Made for you. You see."

"No, I'm not here to buy anything, really," Elphaba said, the shopkeeper ignoring her. Galinda watched curiously as he pulled down a black hooded jacket with a wide collar. The shoulders had six neat rows of silver studs each. The body had four zip pockets. The inside was lined with bright turquoise satin. He held it before her. She looked at it with something like horror.

"Put it on Elphie," Fiyero said. "I think leather might suit you."

"I'm not interested in wearing another being's skin, thank you very much," Elphaba said with an edge to her voice.

"Try it on, just for a second," Galinda said. Elphaba grimaced as the shopkeeper pushed it toward her.

"You're not going to let up, are you."

"Absolutely not."

"Fine." She took it and pulled it on. Fiyero and Galinda stared at her. She stood awkwardly staring back. "Well?"

Galinda wasn't sure what to say. Elphaba was in a faded navy shirt and her usual black jeans, but she seemed transformed in the jacket. Galinda was actually a little alarmed how much it suited Elphaba.

Elphaba seemed to become insecure in their silence, and Fiyero quickly said, "It's great. It's perfect."

"Good to hear," Elphaba said, pulling it off her body in record time. She held it back at the shopkeeper. He looked confused.

"Too much? I bring it down for you."

"I can't wear real leather."

"No? Real thing is better than fake shit. See this." He gripped the leather and tugged it hard between his hands. "Strong, but supple. Nothing like this."

"I can't."

He made a noise and nodded. He gestured for Fiyero to come over to the corner of the box. Galinda stood close to Elphaba.

"That jacket was made for you."

"That jacket is made of death," Elphaba said gravely.

"Poetic."

"Shut up."

They went through every wing of the market. Elphaba stopped only at stores with books and music. Fiyero picked up bags of handmade clothing. Galinda bought spellcraft wares; markets were just about the only place to get them other than on the internet. Sometimes, when you phrased it right, you could ask to see off-the-counter items that were technically illegal. Galinda had only done it once. She had bought her favourite wand that way.

It was early afternoon when they emerged. Elphaba took a deep breath and sighed with relief. "Well, this has been an average to annoying day. I have things to do. Happy Fiyero day."

Fiyero laughed. "It's not over, Elphie! We're going to Northgate shopping centre."

"No."

"Do you want that Munchkinlander cuisine or not, Greenie?"

Elphaba groaned, but followed them to the tram stop, to Galinda's surprise.

Northgate was a maze of a complex. Fiyero decided to simply explore the entire place, stopping at every men's clothing store they spotted.

Most of them were displaying thick sweaters and jackets for winter. The look this year was tweed bodied jackets with leather sleeves and discreet zip fronts. Fiyero pulled one on, patterned with black and white and silver. He flexed in it. "It's too tight around my shoulders. I can barely move."

"There's a larger size, but it'll look loose around your hips." Galinda held it out to him, but he waved it away.

"Not my colours anyway." He took it off and held it up, narrowing his eyes at it. "You know who it would suit?"

Galinda followed his gaze. Elphaba looked between them. "Not again."

"This is fake leather! Give it a try, Elphie, please!"

"This was meant to be Fiyero day, not 'Dress Up The Green Person' day. Why do I have to dress up? I don't even like fashion!"

"Yes, that's very obvious," Galinda muttered. "Your wardrobe is depressing and I have to live with you." Galinda paused in thought. "This is also payback for your incessant whining." Elphaba glared. Galinda smiled at her insincerely. Fiyero glanced at them, his eyebrows raised.

"What happened with you two?"

"Nothing," Elphaba said. She took the jacket and donned it quickly. "There. Judge away."

"Zip it up."

"You move okay in it?"

"It fits well," Elphaba said, and she was right. The sleeves were just the right length and the shoulders were perfect. It made her seem broader, a little less lanky, and the pattern suited her.

"You look hot," Fiyero said with a serious expression. "Seriously. This is your style."

Galinda agreed, but didn't say anything, watching Elphaba's expression as she looked at herself in the mirror.

She really wasn't attractive. Galinda had wondered, had tried to maybe see something, but Elphaba just wasn't beautiful. She was as sharp and awkward and weird as usual. Except, somehow, Galinda didn't mind it. The jacket looked good. The tweed jacket and her weird, unattractive face suited each other.

Elphaba refused to get the jacket, and they moved on with a navy sweater that fit Fiyero just right. In each store they would pick a piece or two for Fiyero, and one for Elphaba. Her initial resistance didn't seem to last long. Galinda suspected it was all the compliments. There were a pair of tan suede shoes Galinda knew she would have to keep track of for future purchase, and one particular jacket - navy and quilted, with a pattern of coloured charms running down it - she had been tempted to buy on the spot.

They went to the Munchkinlander place. It was nice. Elphaba obviously liked the food, but she wasn't as in love with it as her compliance had implied. When Elphaba went the bathroom, Galinda went with her. While Galinda was washing her hands - Elphaba used a little bottle of oil she apparently carried around with her - Galinda spoke up. "You didn't stick with us just for that."

"Just because I don't express my joy like you do, doesn't mean I'm not enjoying something. A lot." Galinda gave her a look in the bathroom mirror. She shrugged. "Fiyero is my friend. It's his day, right?"

Galinda smiled. "You do care!"

"Of course I care."

Galinda held Elphaba's eye, her smile fading. She shut off the tap. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know."

They went back out, and back to shopping.

At one of the last shops, there was a rack of hats. Fiyero pulled on a yellow floral pattern cap. "I love it. I love it so much. It's mine."

"I like this." Galinda held a black, grey and red hat, admiring the pattern.

"Red isn't really my colour, Glin." He stopped dead. "Whoa. Look at this."

He held it before her. It was a hat that bordered between awful and amazing. Its body was orange and patterned with a washed out beige flower pattern. The brim was bright yellow. She looked up at him slowly. "That is atrocious."

Elphaba came over to them. "Look, it's almost four. Can we please go home? Shopping is more exhausting than I expected."

"Fine," Fiyero said with a dramatic sigh. He fit the hat to Elphaba's head. She readjusted it to sit a little off centre and grimaced at him.

"No more dress up."

"Wait," Galinda said. "Look at me."

"What?"

"Look at me."

Elphaba faced her, puzzled. Galinda reached up and turned it so the brim sat at the back of her head. She rearranged Elphaba's hair to fall either side of her, framing her face and spilling over her shoulders. "Beautiful," Galinda said distractedly.

Elphaba looked at her piercingly, almost fiercely, as if daring her to repeat what she had said.

"Gods, it does look good," Fiyero muttered. "Of course that thing suits you. Look at those colours." He was frowning.

Elphaba took it off and looked at the tag. "Twenty dollars for a hat? I think I'll pass."

"I'll buy it." Galinda began to retrieve her purse from her bag. Elphaba laughed.

"No, I really don't need this, and you waste enough money on yourself."

"I waste as much money as I want. Today, I'm wasting it on you." She snatched the hat. Elphaba crossed her arms.

"That really isn't necessary."

"If we're going to share a room, you're going to wear at least one decent looking piece of clothing, okay? Just for the sake of my continued sanity."

Elphaba didn't reply, but took the hat when it was payed for and held out to her. She fit it over her head. Galinda fixed it again, Elphaba watching. "Isn't the whole backwards cap a little assholish?"

"Well, you're kind of an asshole, Elphie." Elphaba narrowed her eyes, then smiled, then laughed.

"Let's go home."

* * *

"My parents have called me home during Emerald week."

"Lucky you. You have something to do during that stupid long weekend."

They were sitting at the tin table on the porch on a Monday morning, Galinda scribbling outfits, Elphaba smoking and reading the paper. Fiyero poked his head out of the front door.

"Mind if I go with you? I would like to visit my parents."

"Sure!" Galinda glanced at Elphaba briefly. "You can come too, if you'd be so bored here."

"Me? Go to Frottica?" Elphaba scoffed, then genuinely considered it. "You wouldn't mind?"

"The more company the better. If I have to be alone with my parents for a whole weekend..." Galinda made a face. "I won't survive."

"I'll think about it." Elphaba looked at her phone, then crushed her cigarette and stood. "Time for class."

Galinda knew enough to know that morning class for Elphaba on a monday was exactly an hour before when she had to leave for class. She sat back and looked at the figures she had sketched out. She closed her book, satisfied, and went to prepare for the day.

* * *

As Galinda made her way out of her lecture hall, an arm curled around her waist. "Hey Glin."

"Hey," Galinda said with a little relief. It was Shenshen. Of course it was Shenshen. She wasn't friendly with anyone but her in this class. She had worried, for a split, irrational second that it was Abbott. She pulled Shenshen in to a brief hug. "We haven't talked in a while! How are you?"

"I'm good," Shenshen said with a little smile. She glanced at the students passing by them. "Hey, I have some time till my next lecture. Could we get a coffee together? Catch up?"

Galinda knew Shenshen would probably end up late for her lecture. She was terrible with keeping time. "Yeah. Coffee sounds perfect right now."

"Coffee always sounds perfect to a university student."

They went to a store on the same street as Ruby's that gave discounts to Shiz students. Shenshen ordered a black coffee with too many sugars. Galinda always got the Em. C. special. It was mint chocolate and managed to not taste absolutely foul.

"I'm working at Red Rock now, the clothing store. They always have such nice shoes." Shenshen gave her a little smile. "I can get you a discount if you want."

"That would be great," Galinda said with a smile – the kind of smile she only really ever used with Shenshen, and friends like her. "I'm still at Angles."

"The art store, right? Where did you even find that place? I've seriously never seen it in my life."

"It's tucked away."

"Do you get a discount on stuff there? Cheaper pencils or whatever?"

Galinda felt a familiar annoyance come over her. "Yes, I do."

"You should change to a clothing store, Glin. My wardrobe can barely take all the benefits. Sometimes, if something is out of season and not selling, they just give it to you. I got Emutt for nothing. It was from his summer range last year but it's still cute."

"I like Angles. I know the owners well, and I don't want to risk losing that only to be without a job."

"Galinda. You'll get a job in seconds. I mean, look at you." Galinda couldn't help a lopsided smile. "But, if you really feel comfortable there, okay. Even though you could totally be getting Garrell shoes for like, thirty bucks."

"Well, that's why I have you," Galinda said sweetly. Shenshen hit her arm lightly. "What's the time?"

Shenshen's smile dropped. She looked at her phone. "Shit. Shit. I gotta go."

"Whoa. Looking to be on time for once?"

"Have to. My lecturer is a friend of my parents. They keep threatening to cut off my allowance. You are so lucky your parents are nowhere near being teachers."

"Okay, okay. Go."

"We need to do this again! With Milla and Pfannee!"

"We will!"

"Love you, bye!" She left in a flurry.

Galinda still had more than an hour. She looked at her coffee, barely touched, and got an idea. She ordered another coffee.

Elphaba wasn't at the counter when she checked. She asked the girl there and she said Elphaba was around the back, on her break, and led her through the door there. It was a little place with a green plastic roof and the bins off to the side. Elphaba was smoking. She looked very surprised when she saw Galinda. "Uh. Hey."

"I got you coffee." Galinda held it out to her.

Elphaba took it, but said, "I'm not really a coffee person. I prefer tea." She gestured to the shop. Galinda nodded.

"Next time."

"There's going to be a next time?"

"Why not? Are these breaks scheduled?"

Elphaba looked at her for a moment. "It's me. Of course its scheduled."

"Then there's going to be a next time." Elphaba smiled in her small, tight way. Galinda smiled to see it, then became serious, and said, "Elphaba, I'm sorry for saying what I did before. It was out of line. I was out of line."

Elphaba squinted at her. "Why?"

"What?"

"Why was it out of line? I want to hear you say it."

Galinda was silent, then managed, "It was untactful."

"I don't give a shit about tact. You should know that."

Galinda faltered. "I just - look, I'm trying to apologize, okay?"

"Well, you suck at it," Elphaba said with a wary amusement. "Here's a tip for future apologies. Acknowledge what you did wrong, and tell them you plan to change that behaviour. That's an apology." Elphaba gave her a lingering, judgemental kind of look. "We're cool, but I would appreciate it if you thought about why I reacted like I did."

Galinda nodded. Elphaba nodded back and crushed the butt of her cigarette. She sipped the coffee and grimaced. "Still don't like it?" Galinda asked.

"Apparently not." Elphaba looked away pensively. She always became very still when she was thinking. She cleared her throat and said, "But thank you for being so considerate."

Galinda felt herself blush and grin wide. "Of course," She said warmly. Elphaba glanced at her and smiled lopsidedly. She turned to face Galinda.

"You know that book, Invisible Cities? I actually bought it with you in mind. I think you'd like it. It's… poetic. And about cities." Elphaba looked embarrassed. "It's very well written."

Galinda laughed a little. "I'll read it tonight. Thank you, Elphie."

"It's fine," Elphaba said casually.

That night, Galinda did start Invisible Cities, Elphaba reading across from her in her own bed, as usual. The book Elphaba had bought her was as good as Elphaba had probably meant to make it sound. A section read, "Zora's secret lies in the way your gaze runs over patterns following one another as in a musical score where not a note can be altered or displaced. The man who knows by heart how Zora is made, if he is unable to sleep at night, can imagine he is walking along the streets and he remembers the order by which the copper clock follows the barber's striped awning, then the fountain with the nine jets, the astronomer's glass tower, the melon vendor's kiosk, the statue of the hermit and the lion, the Turkish bath, the café at the corner, the alley that leads to the harbor."

Galinda finished the passage and had a realisation. She was attracted to Elphaba. There was little that was attractive about Elphaba, but that didn't seem to matter. Galinda was absolutely sure, in that moment, that she was attracted to her room mate.

She looked at Elphaba across the room. She was on her side, half hunched over her book, her hair falling around her face. She was a long, awkward, green person. There was something unexplainable and brilliant about her. Galinda looked away and closed Invisible Cities, and tried to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n: **Warning for discussions of abuse.  
**  
Chapter 5**

Galinda shut her laptop and stood up. Fiyero looked away from his textbooks to glance at her. Elphaba didn't even seem to notice.

"Elphie, we're taking a break."

"Nope," Elphaba replied without missing a beat. "If I'm going away for a week, I'm doing as much concentrated study as possible."

"We've been studying for a solid two hours. Or I have; you must be on your third."

"Three hours is nothing for me."

Galinda loomed over her. "You're studying with me this time. We're having a break."

Elphaba smiled sardonically. "I am surprised you're keeping this up even though we've been living together for almost two months. It's not happening."

"It's a scientific fact that giving your brain a break can only be beneficial. Ten minutes makes no difference. You're taking a break." Elphaba looked up at her with narrowed eyes. She stared back.

"No."

"You can smoke finally."

Elphaba scowled. "That's unfair and you know it."

"Maybe, but it's true."

Elphaba glared at her for a long moment. "Technically, ten minutes does make some difference," She remarked. She stood. "Fine. You have swayed me."

They stood just outside the doors of the Shiz Central Public Library. Elphaba got through one cigarette before they went inside from the cold. It was snowing, now in the depths of winter. It had been five minutes. "We're not going back to it after just that. Let's look around!" Galinda pulled Elphaba over to the nearest shelves - cooking books. They both moved on immediately. Art and design claimed a few shelves nearby; Galinda approached, and spotted a favourite book of hers.

"This is a great reference for the fundamental history of architecture throughout Oz. I'll admit, it covers Gillikin mostly, but the section on the Vinkus is better than you would expect."

"And what are the fundamentals of Vinkan architecture historically?" Elphaba asked with a smirk.

"Well, the Vinkus is mostly prairie and mountains. There are only one or two major rivers, and along those rivers were where most of their first cities really flourished. For a long time, most Vinkans were nomadic tribes."

"Tribes implies savagery and is to be avoided," Elphaba interjected. "Nation or people is the better term."

"Most Vinkans were nomadic nations," Galinda repeated, her stomach dipping uncomfortably. "They made portable structures out of hides and wooden frames. Very efficient travellers, for their time. People theorise that since the… nations of the Vinkus were constantly at war, they were consistently evolving battle and siege technologically to outmaneuver each other. That's why there are all those Vinkan warrior tropes. Vicious masters of battle."

"The common depiction of Vinkan warriors paint them as violent savages," Elphaba said conversationally.

"Well, that's just not historically accurate." Elphaba laughed at that. Galinda was confused.

"History has been twisted and edited by the wrong people. Galinda, do you remember when we were talking about Avaric and Fiyero, and I questioned why you brought up Fiyero's race?"

Galinda shifted in place as the discomfort pulled at her stomach again. "Yes."

"You were implying, whether you meant it or not, that Fiyero had some natural aggression or warrior proficiency within him. Which he doesn't; both of us know Fiyero is about as violent as a teddy bear."

"Oh." Galinda frowned. "Well, you could have explained that."

"I believed you claimed to be too tired to discuss it at the time."

Galinda was tempted to backtrack, but instead simply fell silent. "Well, I'm sorry for back then," She said eventually.

"Don't apologize to me. It doesn't affect me at all. Fiyero, on the other hand, is your best friend."

Galinda nodded. "You're right. As usual." She sounded more begrudging than she had meant to.

Elphaba glanced at Galinda with a purse of her thin lips. "Tell me about Munchkinland."

"Wood and thatch houses mostly. Lots of granite and slate. Munchkinland was on the forefront of agriculture further back in history, and started trading with Gillikin early, so in particularly wealthy old structures you can find marble and gold."

"That does explain my family's estate looking so out of place."

"Yeah. And lots of farming meant lots of festivals dedicated to the harvest and fertility, so there's a lot of flora and fauna depicted in murals and sculptures and such." Galinda shrugged. "Munchkinland is kind of boring, to be honest."

"Watch out. That's my country you're talking about."

"Sorry. Gillikin is a bunch of stuffy Unionist ass kissing, if that makes you feel any better."

"It does actually," Elphaba said with a little smile. "Speaking of Unionist ass kissing." They had wandered into the World Religions and Spirituality section.

"Oh, we are not getting into this."

"Nonsense! Religion is a timeless subject of heated debate."

"I don't want to have a heated debate with you. You make me feel stupid enough as it is."

Elphaba huffed. "You aren't stupid, Galinda."

"If I'm not stupid, I'm ignorant."

"I see. If you ever want to alleviate yourself of some of your ignorance, I suggest this." She took up a thick, hard backed book. "Covers the effect of different organized religions on Oz's economy through the ages. Very interesting."

"I'll keep that in mind for my next scheduled trip to boring town."

"What? It's important. In a better world, everyone would know at least a little of this material."

"I can only imagine your design of a better world," Galinda mused. "You'd either get it spectacularly right or spectacularly wrong."

"The world is already spectacularly wrong. I like to think it could only go up. Perhaps that's idealistic of me."

Galinda wanted to say, 'You are idealistic, it's one of your better sides', but didn't. She didn't reply at all. She felt Elphaba glance at her and linger.

Galinda wondered why feelings and attractions only got stronger once you recognised them. She had thought things like that would fade once they were acknowledged and pushed aside, but it was hard to push aside something like this, and Galinda supposed she kind of liked a part of it. It had been a while since she was actually attracted to someone in this way. It was nice, but it was also Elphaba.

She couldn't rationalise her attraction. Elphaba simply wasn't very good looking. Facial features aside, her posture was strange, and while she was strong - and it showed - and tall - taller than most men - her body was in some strange middle ground between feminine and masculine; perfectly androgynous. Not that Galinda had ever seen it clearly. Elphaba was surprisingly shy for someone so blunt. Galinda had pointed out that she was wearing the hat she had bought her, and she had blushed, if a darkening shade of green was a blush.

"Galinda?" She turned at her name. Elphaba was staring at her in an odd, compelling way. Galinda stared back, a tension coming between them.

Galinda looked away first. "What's your favourite book?"

"The sixteen volume set detailing all the known information and history surrounding the natural sciences. Guess that's books, actually."

"That was a predictable answer," Galinda remarked. "I don't mean useful. I don't even really mean enlightening. What was the book that made you feel the most?"

"I don't read books for the feelings in them."

"Why not?"

Elphaba had her hand on one of the shelves, and leant her head against it as she thought over her answer. "While I understand feelings, and I understand why someone would feel certain emotions in certain situations, I rarely react to emotion with my own emotion."

"How do you react to emotion?"

"Understanding, when I do understand it. I suppose I'm cold when I don't. Either way, reading about how people feel doesn't give me much."

"But the natural sciences do?"

"They give me the ability to really see the world around me," Elphaba said quietly, looking at the shelves. Galinda watched, and realised she was smiling.

She said what she thought this time; "You're pretty passionate for someone who describes herself as cold. Poetic, too." Galinda straightened as a thought came to her. "You write music, right? Do you write lyrics?"

Elphaba squinted at Galinda. "Yes," She said slowly. "But you're not seeing them. Not any time soon, anyway."

"Why not?"

"The only person that's seen them is Fiyero," Elphaba said, as if that was an answer. Galinda realised belatedly that it was; a thinly padded answer of 'I don't trust you yet'.

Galinda cleared her throat and turned away, walking to the next section. "Well, if not a book that makes you feel things, then a book you liked for its atmosphere, or plot, or relationships."

"There was one I was recommended by an elderly teacher of mine. It was a romance, in fact, between a Bear and a Stag. 'Fall For The Hunted'; the writing was very intriguing."

"An Animal romance! How'd you find that?"

"The teacher is a Goat. He gave me a reading list of Animal authors. They aren't rare, so much as unknown." They had wandered into the science section. Elphaba stopped dead. "Studying. We're meant to be studying."

"Don't ruin the conversation."

"We're leaving for a week, Galinda!" Elphaba was already on her way back. "Are you coming?"

"Not yet. You can join me for a while longer if-"

"Work to be done," Elphaba said distractedly. Galinda frowned, and went off deeper in the library.

It was a big place. At the back of the library, the lights got a little dimmer, and there were alcoves with desks and rustic reading lamps and upholstered chairs. In these dark, narrow parts of the library, the spellcraft section was hidden. She ran her fingers over the spines of the books; old books, books with authors that never had their full name, or bypassed a name altogether; The Shadow Art, by Anonymous.

"Galinda."

She startled and span around, her eyes wide. Boq held up his hands. She settled. "Boq. Hey."

"Hey," He said, smiling shyly. He glanced at the shelves. "I thought I would find you here."

Galinda didn't know how to reply. She realised exactly how small the space of these parts of the library were; behind her and to her right were the walls of the building, and to her left were the old shelves pressed close together. Boq stood between her and the rest of the library. She began to feel a little uneasy, and said, "What is it, Boq?"

His smile became puzzled. "I just wanted to talk."

"Yeah." She smiled stiffly. "What's up?"

His hands were fidgeting. He took a breath, then stepped toward her - closer than he would usually dare to. "Galinda, I've been a coward the past month. I've been dancing around my own feelings and - I'm sorry for that, I guess. But I think I have the courage now." He smiled shakily. "I know girls like you don't go out with guys like me in Frottica, but this is Shiz, and I really, really like you. You're kind of perfect."

Galinda stared at him blankly. Her stomach was sinking with every second of him looking at her so hopefully. She opened her mouth, but had no idea what to say. After a few awkward moments, he seemed to realise she wasn't going to react at all. She expected him to revert to his usual meek self.

She saw him bolster his courage, and move forward to hug her. She tensed immediately. He was shorter than her but had tried to embrace her. He reconsidered and instead wrapped his arms around her waist. She was mildly uncomfortable, and was about to laugh and pat his back, and turn him down as gently as possible, until she felt his hands settle on the small of her back.

The feeling and the position of his hands was so coincidentally familiar and exact that in the space of a moment she was taken back, almost violently, to a time when she was younger. There were another pair of hands there, another person cornering her in another building. She could smell laundry detergent and bleach. She jerked out of their arms and stumbled back against the wall.

"Galinda? Are you okay?"

Galinda was not okay. She could feel her heartbeat picking up. Her hands were trembling and cold. She looked up at Boq and wanted to tell him to get away, give her space, but she couldn't talk somehow. He looked worried, and approached cautiously. She pressed herself back against the wall. He backed up.

"Shit. Shit! I didn't mean to scare you," He whispered quickly, moving as if to touch her, only to stop when she flinched. "Okay. Shit. Should I-"

"What are you two doing?" Fiyero popped up behind Boq, placing a hand on his shoulder. He took one glance at Galinda and turned on Boq. "What happened?"

"Sound carries awfully well in this building," Elphaba muttered, coming up behind Boq. Her face dropped when she saw Galinda.

"I - I was talking to Galinda, and I hugged her, and she… well, I don't know. I think I scared her?"

Elphaba pushed past them. "Fiyero, take Boq away."

"What? Is she okay?" Boq asked urgently as Fiyero began pushing them off to the other side of the library. Elphaba watched them go, then looked back at Galinda.

Galinda stared back and felt as if her entire body was like the string of a bow drawn too far, taut and about to snap. Elphaba gazed back at her. She said, in a leveled voice, "Galinda, do you want to go outside? Boq isn't anywhere near us now."

Galinda felt the draw of the string become a little looser. She took a deep breath and said, "Okay."

Elphaba didn't initiate any contact, but when Galinda linked their arms she didn't complain. They left the building. The fresh air helped. Elphaba was walking toward the bus stop nearby, but Galinda said, "Let's walk. Please."

"Sure." They walked in comfortable silence. It was cold, but moving kept them warmish. Elphaba pulled out her cigarettes. "Do you mind if I…?"

"Go for it."

She exhaled slowly through her nose, smoke trailing behind her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I can feel my hands again." She flexed them. Elphaba glanced at her.

"Blood rushes to your muscles. Fight or flight responses work that way."

"I see."

"Has that happened before?"

"Once."

Elphaba took a puff of her smoke and asked, in a gruff, casual way, "You can talk about it if you want to."

Galinda wasn't sure how to answer that. She supposed Elphaba would be one of the best confidants available, if only because her pool of friends was so small. And she trusted Elphaba. She wasn't sure when that had began. She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, Elphaba pausing a second later.

"I'm trans. I'm a trans woman."

Elphaba looked back at her. "Really?"

"Yep."

Elphaba smiled lopsidedly. "Cool." She became serious again. "So that's related?"

"Kind of. When he touched me, a lot of things came back." They started walking again. "Are you sure you want to hear this shit?"

"I offered, didn't I?"

"I mentioned Avery, right? The servant I was friends with."

"Yeah."

"We were kind of in a relationship for about three years."

Elphaba nodded. "Were you aware of your gender?"

"Yes. I wasn't out about it at all though, let alone passing. Avery was helping me with that actually. Taught me about makeup, gave me my fashion taste. Taught me small things to appear more feminine. She guided me," Galinda said softly, almost fondly. "She was a good friend."

"A good friend. Not a good girlfriend?"

Galinda stared ahead down the street in an unfocused way as she considered her answer to that. She eventually said, "It wouldn't have mattered, probably, but in retrospect, I don't think she was. But she was only eighteen."

"How old were you?"

Galinda felt her voice tremble. "I was thirteen."

"While she was eighteen?"

"Yes."

Elphaba sighed and flicked her cigarette away. "Shit."

Galinda felt her cheeks begin to burn with shame. She let go of Elphaba's arm and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "What can I say? I started early."

"Hey." Elphaba had stopped. She looked a little uncomfortable, but touched Galinda's shoulder, an awkward show of support. "You were too young to…" She struggled. "It's not on you, is what I mean to say. Eighteen and thirteen couldn't possibly be an equal relationship."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Of course. You were a kid."

"She didn't treat me like a kid," Galinda said. "Or maybe she did, and I never realised. I can't tell. All I know is I don't like to think about her too much."

"Would you rather we didn't-"

"No, it's okay. I want to get this out."

Elphaba nodded. "Well. The fact she thought it was appropriate to date you at all is pretty wrong as is," Elphaba said. "Did she ever do anything…" Elphaba left it hanging.

"Violent?"

"Or generally unwanted."

Galinda laughed lightly. "She never hit me or anything. No, she was… loving. She took care of me."

"But did she listen to you?" Elphaba asked. She looked so serious. Galinda glanced away and was smiling, but she didn't feel anything someone would smile about.

"She was older," Galinda said in an easy voice. "She was like a teacher, or a big sister, or like a mentor."

"So she was above you."

Galinda looked at Elphaba sharply, then nodded, her eyes stinging. Elphaba waited for her to compose herself. Then, she wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Fuckin' cold out here. Let's make some hot chocolate or something when we get home."

"Sounds good."

* * *

Galinda was packing away her make up into her usual travel case. She glanced at her phone again and huffed.

"This is really stressing you out, isn't it?" Elphaba asked distractedly from her bed. She was reading, as always. Galinda eyed her critically.

"We have to leave in just three hours, and you still havent packed?"

Elphaba looked up at Galinda from her book with an incredulous look. "Have you seen my wardrobe? Packing takes about fifteen minutes, ten of which are for books."

"That's all you're taking? Clothes and books?"

"And my oils. Should I dismantle my bed?"

Galinda rolled her eyes. "What about toiletries? Snacks? An umbrella. Medication. A charger for your phone… your laptop! And its charger! Headphones maybe?"

"Okay, you made your point," Elphaba muttered, closing her book. "I'll start packing immediately, mother." Galinda didn't respond. Elphaba stared at her. "Why are you doing that lately?"

"What?"

"Not acknowledging what I say."

Galinda made some indistinct sound. "I acknowledge it. I don't have to reply to everything."

"Isn't it polite? You're all about tact, right?"

Galinda cut her eyes at Elphaba. She looked annoyed. That wasn't new, but Elphaba was usually annoyed over simple things; a minor difference of opinion or a lack of cheese to put between bread in the morning. She looked genuinely irritated.

Galinda made a snap decision between confrontation and bluffing. "It's just been stressful at school. I've been in a bad mood. I'm sorry."

Elphaba looked at her for a long moment. "Right," She said finally. She didn't look convinced. "Must you always be so dishonest?"

"Must you always be so direct?" Galinda snapped. Elphaba scowled.

"As opposed to what? Dancing around something when I have no idea what it's about? I like to know what's going on around me. I like to know when someone is angry with me and why."

"I'm not angry with you."

"You could've fooled me."

"Just pack."

Galinda went downstairs and fell onto the couch beside Crope. He draped an arm around her shoulders. "You look angry."

"I am not angry. Just frustrated."

"Our green friend? He can be frustrating, can't he? Especially when you want him."

Galinda sighed. Then she realised what Crope had said, and shot a glare at him. "I do not want to sleep with him. Her! Elphaba!"

"And yet you cry out his name so sensually," Crope teased. "And I didn't even necessarily mean sleeping with them! I could have meant date. You showed your hand there."

"I am not into Elphaba," Galinda muttered, almost to herself.

Crope raised a sculpted eyebrow. "Honey, I've seen the way you look at them. Ain't nothing is secret from me in this house. I got eyes in the walls." He leaned over and gave her a devilish look. "I'm gonna give you a little present. Try to wake up right at four to five thirty. Don't use an alarm, if you can avoid it. You'll see something you like. All this confusion you're having will be cleared right up."

Galinda was more suspicious than intrigued. "What is it? Is it something that invades her privacy? Because I'm not about that. I'm already on thin ice with her."

"I don't know. Elphie is kind of hard to read with that shit. But I can promise that he'd be more annoyed being interrupted his reading, if that gives any perspective."

"That is not comforting."

"You're right, it's not, but I tried."

"Well. Thanks, I guess." Galinda bit her lip and looked at Crope from the corner of her eye. "Hey. Are you good with secrets?"

"When I care, sure," Crope said. Galinda stared at him. He looked up. "I care about you by now. You're my hot gay girl friend."

"I'm not gay," Galinda said.

"Bisexual then?"

Galinda opened her mouth to deny it, but stopped. "Yes," She said slowly.

Crope gave her a lingering, serious look. "Is that the first time you've ever come close to admitting that?"

"Yes."

"Wow. I'm honoured."

"Shut up," She groaned, but she was smiling. She took a deep breath. "I'm bisexual. Or something. I'm not sure yet."

"Bisexual for Elphie?"

Galinda didn't want to discuss Elphaba, but knew Crope would tell if she lied. She said the closest truth she could. "I'm not romantically interested in Elphaba." Crope seemed to pick up on her discomfort and simply nodded. "So, all that totally wasn't the secret I was referring to."

"What? Really?"

Galinda couldn't help the rush of nervousness, even though she was so sure Crope wouldn't care. "I'm trans," She said quietly.

Crope lit up. "So am I!"

"No way."

"Yes way. I thought I got vibes."

"I did not give vibes. I feel like a failure."

"You are. You should be ashamed. I'm your brother in gender fuckery."

Galinda's cheeks hurt from grinning. She let out a happy, relieved kind of laugh. "What are the odds?"

"Not counting Tibbs, cis people are outnumbered in this house, so. Better than we think, apparently. Anyone else know?"

"Fiyero does, and Elphie found out a couple of days ago. I'm a little unsure with Boq."

"Boq knows about me, and he's totally cool with it. I mean, if it does put him off romantically, at least he won't be borderline humping your leg like some sad lap dog whenever you're in a room together."

"Gross, but I won't deny the accuracy," Galinda muttered. She stood up and gave Crope a smile that felt surprisingly sincere. "Thanks for this, Crope."

"No problem honey."

Three hours later, Galinda, Elphaba and Fiyero were on a train to Frottica. They got dinner just before leaving and ate on the train. It was comfortable and reasonably spacious. Galinda was beside Fiyero, Elphaba sat across from them with a book open.

Elphaba hadn't really looked at Galinda all night. It was getting to her. A lot. She wasn't used to people she actually liked being so indifferent to her, and she didn't understand how Elphaba could just shut down like that. She just kept reading her stupid book about history, or religion, or something like that probably. Fiyero had taken to staring out the window, so Galinda decided to continue Invisible Cities. She hoped, irrationally, for some kind of reaction.

At eleven, Galinda started getting tired. She yawned wide. "You can lean against me if you want to sleep," Fiyero said. Galinda smiled up at him.

"Thanks. You still have the most comfortable bulky man shoulders."

He curled an arm around her. She gave him a questioning look. "It's kinda chilly in here, right?"

"I guess?"

"Go with it," He said quietly. Galinda was baffled. He wiggled his eyebrows and nodded toward Elphaba. Galinda looked at her, still confused.

Elphaba was peering at the arm around her shoulders. Then she glanced at Fiyero, and back down to her book. She shifted in her seat.

Galinda looked at Fiyero again - staring out the window - and pulled out her phone. Fiyero always had his on silent. She texted him. When he didn't react, she nudged him and flashed him her phone, and he hastily retrieved it from his pocket.

G: Why the duck r u cuddling me and y did u make obnoxious facial gestures toward elphie  
G: U realise she is like a human hawk right  
G: U have been found out ur mission or whatevs is busted

F: I'm trying to make her jealous.

G: what. why

F: Because you're totally into Elphie and would be cute as heck together.

G: oh god did crope get to you  
G: is this his doing

F: Maybe a little bit.

G: im disappointed but he is very charming i understand

Galinda put her phone away, exchanging a look with Fiyero. He kept his arm around her but looked appropriately shamed.

Within minutes Galinda was on the edge of sleep; with the rhythmic sound of the train's wheels, and Fiyero's heatbeat, and the warm image of Elphaba in front of her. She was completely absorbed in her book. Galinda watched her while she read, the moonlight from the windows flickering over her face, the warm overhead bulbs lighting her hair; hair that looked red with the light on it. She drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the wait, people. We're back on.

**Chapter 6**

Frottica Central station was the shell of an old bluestone state building made new. Frottica was quieter than Shiz, and was dark and abandoned at such an early hour, the sporadic lighting casting stark shadows.

They waited for half an hour or so, the sky lightening slowly. Early workmen began trickling in around the same hours her parents used to start their work on the farm. They started later now, their age beginning to catch up with them. Her father arrived on the minute he said he would. He came with a wide grin and hugged her as soon as he could. "Hello honey. You get in okay?"

"I'm fine, dad."

His gaze swept over the other two, and lingered on Elphaba blatantly. He snapped away from her. "Fiyero!" He reached out to give him a firm handshake. "Haven't seen you since graduation."

"It's nice to see you, sir." Fiyero gestured toward Elphaba. "This is our friend, Elphaba Thropp."

Galinda's father's eyebrows perked. "Thropp? Of Munchkinland?"

"The one and only," Elphaba quipped. "Your name is…?"

He became embarrassed. "I'm sorry! Reginald, but you can call me Reggie. Reggie Arduenna."

"Reginald," Elphaba said with a firm nod of her head. Reggie seemed to expect more, but it didn't come, so they shuffled toward his car. It was a hunting truck, high off the ground with thick tires and a muted green matt finish. Behind the main five seats of the truck there was a large box-like compartment with a short step ladder leading into it. Galinda stared.

"You got a new truck?"

"Yep! I gotta show you it when we get back, it's beautiful. I got some real nice rifles too. We could arrange a little hunting expedition this week, if you're okay mussing up those pretty heels."

Galinda felt herself begin to smile. "I think I'll manage." She felt Elphaba watching her, and returned her gaze with a curious smile. Elphaba simply looked away, piling into the back of the car next to Fiyero. Galinda hoisted herself into the front.

The drive home was quiet and scenic. Once they left Central Frottica and the surrounding suburbia, it was elegant leafless trees and fields of dewy pastures and fresh turned crops. Galinda's eyes jumped to follow the beat of the rows of wire fences. She knew how to put up fences. Dawn hadn't quite broken, the sky green and blue and navy, still speckled with stars. Her dad had the window down, as he always did, his arm half out.

Galinda had drifted off and woke up with a jerk as they stopped before the house. Her dad smiled at her in the rearview mirror. "Welcome home."

The farmhouse was a big, classic building. It was white and muted cobalt, the roof tiled in dark gray slate. There was a wide porch with a bench hanging to the left, a set of woven chairs and a table to the right. The porch was high off the ground and the stairs leading up were steep and grand, as was the fashion in Frottica about ten years ago. The door was bare timber, a distinct ash hardwood from Glikkus. The dark morning light and the mist of the hills made it look as if it loomed, but Galinda felt her chest swell will familiarity either way.

They were greeted by her mother and a few of the servants that were up at the time, taking their luggage up to their rooms. Her mother - "Larena. It's a pleasure to meet someone of such high blood from Munchkinland! I hope our home is adequate." - gave her a quick, warm hug.

That morning, they had a typical breakfast made by Earlie, a middle aged Munchkinlander woman that worked as head cook. Galinda didn't know her very well - Avery and her mother had left a few years ago now - but got the feeling Earlie didn't like her.

Fiyero went to bed as soon as he could. He was incapable of sleeping in any form of transport. Her mother had already left for work. Reginald was at the dining table with tea and the newspaper. He smiled at them absently as they passed through the house.

"So, I assume you have plans for us," Elphaba said. Galinda smiled back at her.

"I do. You're sure you don't want to sleep?"

"Travelling makes me restless," Elphaba murmured. "What are we doing?"

"I want to show you something," Galinda said. Elphaba lifted a brow.

"What is it?"

"You'll see."

They trekked out over toward the west side of the farm until they reached the woods on the edge of their property. Elphaba looked confused. "Is there some distant, special barn this way?"

"No."

"Then where are we going?"

"I said you'll see."

Elphaba made a huffy sound, but didn't complain. The floor of the forest was a bed of thin, tough bushes and damp reddish leaves. The sunlight was barely filtered through the last dark foliage clinging to the trees around them; tall, dark trees with deep rivets in their bark.

They came to a shallow stream, and Galinda knew they were close. She urged them on a little faster. She wasn't sure how smart it was of her to be doing this, but she felt she needed to, and she wanted Elphaba there. Elphaba was one of those people that felt like a pillar, despite her troublesome nature.

The trees broke away into a grove, and further into the grove was an old building, half consumed by nature. "The unionist chapel," Elphaba murmured. "It is pretty, isn't it?"

Galinda smiled as she watched Elphaba, then tugged her hand. "Let's go explore."

"Won't that mess up your hair?" Elphaba's voice sounded light.

"I'll be careful."

One of the doors was a few meters away one the ground, the other clinging to its frame, water stained and trapped in creeping wall leafage. The inside was a small, open hall, an altar at the front, pews taking up most of the room. The right wall of the building had crumbled somewhat, and a tree just outside had crawled in and overgrown the building, its foliage filling the ceiling of the building, branches reaching out through the occasionally broken windows. Elphaba and Galinda walked down the centre aisle with their arms linked, eyes wandering over the roof and the walls and the great tree. Elphaba tested the bench in the second row, then sat, Galinda beside her.

"This place is so beautiful," Galinda said, moved by nostalgia. Elphaba glanced at her, then at the carved pillars and the aged tapestries hanging on the walls.

"I wonder how old it is."

"Dad said he thought it was from about forty years ago."

"Tapestries suggest otherwise," Elphaba said. "There are Animals depicted there. Could be eighty years."

"Surely it would be more damaged."

"Perhaps someone maintained it."

"Perhaps." They sat for a while, studying the place, then Galinda said, "Want to see the halls underground?"

"Sure," Elphaba said casually. She looked at Galinda, and suddenly went stock still. Galinda gave her a confused look. Elphaba looked up at her very slowly. "Okay. Don't panic, but there's something on your shoulder."

"Something? What something?" Galinda felt herself begin to worry. "What, you mean… alive something?"

"Just. Don't move."

"What is it?"

"I'll get it off," Elphaba muttered, reaching forward. Galinda leaned away. "What are you-"

"Don't grab it with your bare hands! What if its dangerous?"

"There are like, two poisonous spiders in Gill-"

"It's a spider!?" Galinda went from 'ruffled but calm' to 'possible death and disaster panicked' in seconds. She stood up. Elphaba's eyes widened. She felt the horrifying tickle of it moving on her arm and began to flail wildly, simultaneously stumbling back toward the main aisle. When she was steady, she saw Elphaba standing opposite her, her eyes glued to the back of her own hand, held out toward Galinda.

"Are you okay?"

"You flicked it on me."

Galinda eyed Elphaba's hand fearfully. "Is it biting you?"

"Maybe. I can't tell. I don't think it can." Elphaba turned her head and peered at it a little closer, the ghost of a smile on the corners of her mouth.

Galinda calmed down a little. "Well. What's it look like?"

"Big," Elphaba said, tilting her hand to show Galinda. Galinda twitched from the instinctive fright of seeing it. "You startled it. It isn't moving."

"It's a huntsman. Their bite doesn't do a thing, anyway. They just look bloody evil."

Elphaba smirked at it. "Kind of cute."

Galinda looked at Elphaba lingeringly. "You are so weird," She said, more fondly than she meant to. Elphaba held her eye, and that tension came between them again. Galinda was about to speak, but then Elphaba flinched, and they both caught the spider scuttling up her arm. She scooped it into her palm and lay her hand on the ground for the spider to climb off.

"Let's go underground then," Elphaba said.

Under a cover of plywood and brown branches was a set of doors down a steep descent of stone let out sharp, halting creaks as they were pushed open. It was completely dark. Galinda muttered an incantation for a light spell, a pinkish glow spilling from her hand. Elphaba was astounded.

"I knew you practised mica, but I had never seen it."

"I tend to keep it to myself. I'm sure you understand why."

"I doubt anyone living in our house would mind."

"I don't know," Galinda said quietly. "After me and the boys went to that talk, I couldn't quite read their reactions. There have been moments since then, but. Well. I think Crope and Tibbett are fine; I wonder about Boq."

"Mica hasn't played a great role in Munchkinland history for a long time. It's heathenistic, begging for trouble; pleasure-faith Kumbric worshipping."

"Surely, the common belief is not so outdated as that?"

"Outdated," Elphaba repeated mockingly. "Is history so linear?"

"Oh, you know what I mean."

"It's masked in all kinds of language and tactics, but that is where the hate of spellcraft began, and it's all the same thing in the end. It's a rebranding of old fear. That is how almost all prejudices in this world exist; fear for a thing, given new excuses, or old excuses painted over. And every generation, those prejudices are repackaged and repeated. Fear is so predictable."

"You should write a book," Galinda said, and found that she meant it, though she sounded sarcastic.

"I like to think I'm not so excessively narcissistic as that."

"I can see it. I can see you doing that."

"Ouch."

Galinda nudged Elphaba playfully, then started down the hall. The spell cast everything a reddish muted hue. The walls were old stone with empty iron fittings for torches, the floor lined with red moth-bitten linen. There was an abrupt side passage. "I don't remember a thing about the layout of this place," Galinda muttered. "There's a few rooms where people slept and a bathroom, and what was a mess hall, I assume. And the door to the hall of the dead."

"We're going to get lost, aren't we?"

"Possibly."

"Maybe we'll see ghosts," Elphaba said excitedly. Galinda scoffed and lead on.

The maunt's dormitories lined the hall they started on; the furniture was empty and oddly misplaced, as if it had been rifled through. Odd clothes and half melted candles lay around the rooms. One dorm had a small ornate tin case sitting on an old chest of draws. It was empty and green with rust.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Galinda said quietly.

"Are you going to take it?."

"No. It suits this place."

"Very sentimental of you," Elphaba mused, looking at an empty bookcase. "I'm surprised nobody seems to have found this place. No vandalism, no signs of camp outs or anything."

"It's deep into my parent's land. There are fences all around the farm."

"The forest is your parent's too? What do they plan to do with it?"

"I'm not sure. Dad hunts, sometimes, but he likes just walking in it too." Galinda felt a sharp vibration on her side and pulled out her phone. "Fiyero is awake."

"How in Oz do you have signal?"

"Enchantments," Galinda said with a little smirk. Elphaba made a face of mild approval.

"Should we leave then?"

Galinda put away her phone and stared out the door of the dorm. She wrestled with herself. She had her pillar. It was now or never. "It's a waste of time to come out here only to look through a bunch of old bedrooms. Let's go to the hall of the dead."

"You're sure?"

"I never could as a kid." Galinda glanced at Elphaba. "I'm not a kid anymore."

Elphaba gave her a puzzled look. "It's an old crypt, not a proving ground." Galinda did not respond. They wandered around the passages of the maunt's quarters for what felt like an hour or more, exchanging remarks about how large it must be and the period, and about ghosts. They found the mess hall. It was a big room with tattered linen hung around the room, tables and chairs spread about randomly; some upturned, most not. They found themselves in some kind of laundry - a small, tiled room with two large sinks and cupboards full of empty chemical bottles - and then, down another short series of steps, the door to the hall of the dead.

The darkness of the hall made the maunt's quarters seem cheerful. It had a musky, old smell that made breathing feel gross. When they were at the base of the stairs, they heard a dreadful creak, and the door shut behind them, the bolts sliding in place. Galinda felt her stomach lurch. "Oh no. Oh god." She rushed up the stairs and patted her hands around the edge of the door, looking for a latch or something. "What… I can't open it. There's no way to open the door from this side. Why would they do that?"

"Trying to keep something out of the maunt's quarters," Elphaba said quietly, closer than Galinda anticipated. Galinda glared at her, though she was barely visible in the dark.

"We need to get out of here. Maybe we could knock down the door?"

"That thing is made of iron. It's not going anywhere."

Galinda channelled more power into her ball of light. She peered out into the hall. The walls of the hall had two rectangular pits in them, and in the pits were the wrapped bodies of the dead. Galinda summoned as much of her bravery as she could. "Alright. Let's hope there's some way out of this place."

They walked straight ahead for about fifteen minutes before they hit a wall. The crypt continued to the left and the right of them. They went with right, and followed the end wall, peering down each aisle, but never exploring them. They hit a corner and Galinda started back the way they came, but Elphaba lingered, frowning. Galinda stopped. "What is it?"

"Is this place on a slant?"

"What?"

"Look." She held her arm out in front of her, looking down the length of her hand. "The floor is at a slant. It's slight, but with the length of the place, that's a considerable change in ground height."

"So?"

Elphaba dropped her arm. "I don't know. It's just interesting." She peered around the ground and picked up a chip of a stone brick, and rolled it down the aisle. "Definitely at a slant. Wouldn't that make constructing this place considerably harder?"

Galinda frowned. "Yes. Yes it would." Galinda knelt beside Elphaba. She put her hand to ground level, and shot a spark down the path, watching as it lit its path, travelling perfectly straight through the air. It hit the other side. "That height is just about how tall the stairs leading into this hall were. It's too great a change to have been overlooked, or even worked with."

"It was intentional?"

"I think so. The masonry for the maunt's quarters is solid; expertly crafted." Galinda stood up. "There's an exit in here. They measured the stairs leading in and the stairs leading out to be almost equal."

Elphaba began walking down what they had determined to be the front wall of the room. "They don't necessarily lead outside. Stairs that short wouldn't reach the surface."

"They lead somewhere, and that's better than nothing."

They walked for a considerable while. Galinda couldn't help glancing into the blackness of the aisle they passed, dreading something popping out when they least expected it. The place remained still and quiet, even while she was sick with fear.

Eventually, they reached a cut in the wall that had an ascent of stairs leading to a simple wooden door. "Thank Oz, I thought this place was never going to end," Galinda muttered, taking the stairs quickly. She lifted the latch to the door, but couldn't actually move it. She pressed against it.

"Is it locked?"

"No. Something is blocking it, I think." She could peer through the crack, and saw wood. "There's some piece of furniture or something. Help me Elphie."

They stood side by side with their shoulders against the door and pushed together, the door barely shifting. They continued, until Elphaba made them shift around so she was toward the gap, and instead of pushing, slammed herself against the door. There was a shuddering sound, creaking, and then the sound of something heavy falling to the ground. She forced the door open enough to slide herself through. "It was a bookcase, but… What on earth?" Galinda wiggled through the gap in the door and found the floor wooden and polished, and covered with growing puddles of wine.

Elphaba laughed. "We must be in someone's basement."

Galinda sent a spray of sparks out into the dark room. Racks upon racks of wine were there, and on the far side, a bar she recognized. "This is _my family's _basement."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"Your house is above a burial ground. Creepy."

"Please don't put it like that."

They found their way out easily, climbing out of a set of trapdoors just outside the right side of the house. It was late morning. They stumbled inside and fixed themselves cool drinks; water for Galinda, milk for Elphaba. Fiyero stumbled into the room, his hair askew, his eyes squinted.

"Where were you two?"

"On adventures without you," Elphaba said. He touched his chest and swooned dramatically like she had wounded him.

A few hours later they all had dinner together. Elphaba was telling Fiyero about their thrilling adventures into the bowels of the abandoned church. Fiyero seemed relieved to have missed it. Galinda was a seat away from them, her mother between her and Elphaba. Galinda didn't know who made the seating plan, but she was annoyed at them. She suspected it was Earlie.

All the servants had their dinner later in a different room, except the cook. Earlie smirked and nodded every time someone complimented the food - which happened frequently, because she was a damn good cook - and she kept cutting her eyes at Elphaba and Galinda respectively.

"Earlie doesn't like me," Galinda said quietly to her mother.

"Oh, I noticed."

"But why?"

"Why else? Because you're you, and she isn't."

Galinda grimaced. "Mother…"

"She doesn't like me neither. You can never really like someone when they're a step ahead of you on the ladder of life."

Galinda thought of how Elphaba would scowl or roll her eyes or simply stare, disbelieving. "This isn't dinner table conversation."

"No, it isn't," Her mother said, carefully masking her accent. She let it slip every now and then, her words falling to a drawl. Galinda kind of liked it, but her mother thought it unfitting of a lady married to someone such as her father. He was from a high family, and that mattered in Frottica, even if it didn't anywhere else anymore.

They finished dinner and moved into the living room, the fireplace already alight. Fiyero and her father talked mostly, Elphaba perusing the bookcases, Galinda staring into the fire, her mother laughing and tutting in agreement on cue. Slowly, they trickled off to bed, until it was just Galinda and her mother. Larena went for the liquor cabinet. "Want a drink, honey?" She let her accent out now, with the company safely away.

"No, thank you."

"I got some nice port. The sweet stuff, from Settica."

Galinda smiled weakly. "I don't like wine."

"Oh, of course honey, I'm sorry. I always forget." She topped her glass and left the bottle open on the top of the cabinet. "Now, don't you worry about Earlie. She's a fire of a woman, but we pay her and she doesn't forget that. Looks are all she'll give you. Munchkins are a docile sort."

"Mother, you can't say things like that," Galinda said uneasily. Larena scoffed.

"I know your Vinkan fella made you sensitive to all that, but it doesn't make it any less true. I ain't saying they're bad! We have our strengths and they have theirs. "

"Fiyero," Galinda said. "Just call him Fiyero."

"Oh, you know what I mean."

"You never say his name."

Larena sighed and sipped her drink and fussed over nothing. "Anyway, Earlie. The help are like this, honey. Your own maid, who you befriended, turned bad too. I hate thieves. And you know it was jealousy! Just like with Earlie. Avery wanted to be you." Galinda's mother shook her head. "For a Gillikin to stoop so low…"

Galinda felt sick to her stomach. "I don't want to talk about her."

"I understand. Such ugly business."

Ugly business didn't begin to cover it. Galinda stood. "I'm going to go to bed, I think."

"Have a nice sleep, honey. And remember to moisturise, and brush your teeth. Did you know, in first encounters, the two things people judge most are you teeth and the way you talk? So interesting."

"Good night."

Galinda did moisturise, and she did brush her teeth. She always brushed her teeth too firmly, and when she spit in the sink it would be tinged pink from the blood of her gums. She held the ceramic sink and stared at herself in the mirror. She was beautiful. She was a beautiful girl. When she was young she had been unaware of herself, but when she had begun to transition, and began to pass as a girl, she couldn't quite get over herself. She liked her dark, sculpted eyebrows. She liked her eyes, hazel and hooded, her lashes dark and thick. She liked her straight nose. She liked her even teeth, though she had work to reduce the gaps growing up. She liked the gentle curl of her hair; hair that shone in the light.

She realised she loved herself as one loved a finely crafted sculpture, stony and stationary, a symbol worthy of admiration. She looked away from the mirror and patted her face dry, and then went into her old room.

It was dark, the walls pale blue. The cabinets and vanity were covered in little things from when she was younger - photos, a few low scented candles, birthday cards and school papers. They were all in a thin veil of dust. She changed into a big, light shirt and crawled into bed. She tried to read a little, but her head throbbed and she couldn't focus.

She knew it made no sense, but she had some strange compulsion to get up and peek into Elphaba's guest room, to see if she was awake, just to know what she was up to. She was used to being able to look at her.

Galinda closed her book and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, then out the low window that looked over the paddock, where all the sheep were sitting with their lambs, legs folded underneath themselves. She watched them, and didn't sleep for a long while.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

When Galinda was a kid, her parents younger and stronger, she would be woken at four thirty every morning by her mother's activity in the kitchen. She would go down and have a cup of tea with them, then was sent back to bed. At twenty-one, because of some kind of muscle memory, she woke at four thirty. She sat up. The house was quiet. She stretched languidly and looked out the wide windows in her room. In her absent glance she saw movement on the edge of the sheep paddock; human-shaped movement. She was intrigued.

After dressing for the cold, she checked the rooms her friends had been given. Fiyero was accounted for - he looked adorable while asleep - but Elphaba was definitely missing. Galinda snuck out and started along the paddock edge eagerly.

Galinda found herself at the outskirts of the forest again. She wasn't very eager to go stomping around in the woods while it was still so dark, even if she did suspect the early morning secret Crope had mentioned was taking place. What if Elphaba was a werewolf? It wasn't a full moon though, so Galinda dismissed that, and she wasn't sure why that would have cleared up her strange reluctant attraction. Maybe a wood elf? A wood elf wouldn't live in the city. Though there was the park across the road.

Galinda twitched to attention when she made out faint noises coming from a little further into the woods. She picked her way through silently, as her father had taught her to. She hid herself in some bushels at the edge of a clearing. She pulled up the hood of her jumper - her hair shone too brilliantly in the moonlight - and risked a peek into the clearing.

Elphaba was not doing any mystical elfish frivolity. She was in a loose tank top - scandalous, by Elphaba's standards - and shorts. She was in the middle of the clearing, kind of standing, but kind of lunging forward, her hands on her thigh and her back straight. She held the position for a long moment, then changed legs. She changed positions again. She was stretching. Galinda watched incredulously. She realised Elphaba had began running around the edge of the clearing and was coming toward her. She shifted out of sight, listening intently to Elphaba's breathing as she passed. She ran five laps and stopped unreasonably close to Galinda's bushel.

Galinda was torn between making a silent escape or lingering to enjoy the show. Elphaba seemed to be barely panting after her run, but whatever she was doing now was more strenuous. Galinda could catch the occasional quiet grunt. She was too curious to not chance another look.

She was doing push ups with mechanical efficiency. No wonder her arms were so strong, not that there was all that much for her to lift, being as narrow as she was. Galinda lingered on the ripple of the muscles of her shoulders and the flexing of her arms. Her face was hot.

She was still a little stunned by her attraction to Elphaba. Galinda had never thought too much on what, exactly, she wanted. She thought plenty on what she should want: tall, blonde, rich, male. Then again she never had limited herself that way. First Avery, then Fiyero, both within a year of each other. She supposed the gentle fall of her and Fiyero's relationship - and her parents obvious disapproval at the time - had beaten her into a couple of years of obedience. Now that obedience was over, and she was drooling over a green girl.

Elphaba moved onto crunches, then squats, then jumping rope, then stretches again. By the end of the crunches her skin was pearlescent with sweat, her shoulders seeming broader, her movement smoother. Elphaba pulled on a sweater and sat in the grass, prying her hair out of its ponytail. She rubbed oil through it till it glowed. Then she lay back and stared up into the sky. It was a little lighter now, and Galinda guessed it was about half past five.

Galinda knew this was her chance to sneak off. She felt kind of gross for sitting there and watching as she had. She considered pretending she had just arrived. She considered admitting she had watched, but knew Elphaba would be angry, and didn't have the courage for it. Guiltily, she crept off as silently as she had come, and went back to bed.

That morning, Elphaba seemed none the wiser, and Galinda was fine with that, even if she was still guilty. That guilt grew when her father invited her on a hunt, and she was eager to accept.

It wasn't that hunting was particularly fun or fulfilling, but that it was nostalgic. It was their only bonding activity. They rarely found anything to shoot, and landing the shot was just as rare. Galinda was a little mystified as to why her dad put so much money into it, since he wasn't particularly good at hunting, but supposed old men needed their hobbies. Her father had always been busy and aloof; except when hunting.

She knew that wouldn't matter much to Elphaba. For Elphaba, it was the institution and the support of the sport itself that insulted her. Galinda couldn't do much about that except resist it. She didn't think Elphaba would give her a free pass just because her dad was a bad parent. She decided to try anyway.

"Elphie, I never get to be with him otherwise. My father is a... difficult man. We probably won't hurt anything! Almost never do!"

"Have you ever killed something?"

Galinda hesitated. "While hunting?"

Elphaba looked briefly confused, then said, "In general."

"I shot a sick bull when I was twelve."

"Have you ever killed something while hunting?"

"I injured a fox."

Elphaba grimaced. "How do you know it wasn't a Fox?"

"Would it really make a difference to you?" Galinda asked, obviously frustrated. Elphaba scowled.

"Well, seeing as you have metal pens for one and not for the other, I guess it does make a difference, yes!"

Galinda softened. "Elphie, please."

"You don't need my permission to go, Galinda."

"I know. I would just like you to know why I'm going, in case it makes any difference."

Elphaba looked wary, and didn't reply. Her father called to ask if she was coming. She looked at Elphaba for a long moment, and said she was.

They marched around the woods with rifles and didn't see a thing for two hours before Galinda called it quits. Her father was surprised. "You don't even want to set up some bottles at the little range we built? It's just a little further up from here. You're a hell of a shot, honey."

"Not feeling it. Sorry dad." She wasn't that sorry. Elphaba's disapproval had sucked the fun out of it. She just felt bored and annoyed at herself for caring so much about what Elphaba thought of her. Her dad continued on; she walked back to the property alone, having most of the woods memorized by now.

Fiyero was working in the farm, shovelling hay for the cows to have later that evening. Elphaba had been briefly enlisted, but quickly escaped and was reading beneath a tree. Galinda wandered over to her, a little basket of sandwiches and drinks on her arm. Elphaba looked surprised to see her. "I thought hunting took longer, but I am no expert."

"We were planning to go the whole day, but I didn't want to." Elphaba eyed her intently. "Not as fun as I remember, I suppose," Galinda finished quietly.

"I see."

Galinda glanced at Elphaba distractedly as she lay out the plates of food and looked about for any anthills. She was in her usual jeans and tshirt. She wished Elphaba wore the tank tops more.

Fiyero came over a minute later, his brow damp, his shirt open and hanging from his hips. Galinda couldn't help looking him over, but said, "Flash yourself around too much and my mother will start making moves on you."

"You assume that wasn't my goal."

"Oh god, please don't-"

"Galinda, I know your family. Never going to happen." He pulled his shirt back on - mostly - and sat with them. "Not super eager on hearing more about how 'exotic' and 'wild' I am."

"Is that how your parents span your relationship?" Elphaba said, clearly amused.

"Oh, you have no idea. Her mother once referred to me as a 'foreign beauty' to one of her aunties. I was the The Stallion From The West."

"And you stayed together for a year? You're tough stuff, Fiyero."

"My parents avoided actually seeing Fiyero as much as they could whilst still being proper. They met his family once." Galinda glanced at Fiyero with a little grimace of a smile that he returned. "It was awful."

"It was so awful," Fiyero muttered. Fiyero leaned back on his hands and eyed Elphaba with a little smirk. "Have you had such shenanigans?"

"An embarrassing family? Yeah. They're either obsessively unionist or addicted to some illegal substance."

"I was thinking more along the lines of awkward romantic involvements."

Galinda watched Elphaba closely as Elphaba looked at Fiyero, her eyes narrowed. "I can't say I have had such experiences, no."

"No romantic experiences at all?"

Elphaba tilted her head. "That's a little hard to answer. Romantic is a broad term. You could say I experienced romance as a young child still in Munchkinland, when a boy was dared to kiss me and live to tell the tale."

"You know what we mean," Fiyero said eagerly. "You never say anything about it. I know you. If there was nothing to say, you would have made that clear by now."

Elphaba became unsettled. "Why do you care anyway?"

"Just curiosity. Friendly curiosity."

Elphaba looked away. "There was someone. But it didn't go anywhere, and wouldn't have worked."

"Are you straight?" Galinda asked without thinking.

"No, wait, go back to the person," Fiyero said quickly.

"I'm not straight," Elphaba said evenly. "And no, I won't. I don't want to talk about it. Are you?"

"What?" Fiyero said, confused.

"No, Galinda. Are you straight?"

Galinda looked at both of them. "No," She said slowly. "I think I'm bi."

"What?" Fiyero said again, louder, and more surprised than confused. "I mean, I knew you weren't straight, but I didn't know you had actually landed on something."

"It's only recent." Galinda hesitated, then said, "I was thinking of telling my parents this week."

Both of them looked shocked. Fiyero reacted first. "Babe, that's amazing!" He took her hand and squeezed, grinning wide. "I mean, I'm surprised you've decided to do it so soon after labeling yourself, but I am totally behind you for any support you need, of course."

Galinda smiled lopsidedly. "Thanks, Fi. And I know it is kind of fast, but I figure it won't actually be that big of a deal. I mean, they let me be a girl, right? They paid for the hormones, and they embraced me as their daughter when it was all said and done. I know they're pretty terrible in a lot of ways, but I think it'll be okay."

"I hope so," Fiyero said, a little worriedly. "I know your parents supported you, but they're pretty unpredictable people. When do you plan on telling them?"

"Maybe tonight?" Galinda said unsurely. "If I have the courage. After dinner, in front of the fire."

"Alright. Okay. How will you go about it?"

Galinda glanced at Elphaba, who was watching on pensively. "I was going to just tell them," She said curtly. "Maybe after dinner, or in the early morning, when they aren't too distracted."

"Honest and direct. Alright. That'll work, don't worry!"

"I'm not worried!"

"You're worried. I can tell. That's your worried face."

"Shut up."

They startled when Elphaba drawled, "Are you two going to kiss now, or later? Cause I can leave."

"I think Elphie is feeling left out," Fiyero said in a loud whisper to Galinda. She giggled as Elphaba and Fiyero descended into a squabble over how little Elphaba cared about being included in their 'disgusting flirtations'.

That night at dinner, Galinda was filled with nervous energy. Her mother told her off four times for her leg jumping underneath the table, an anxious tick she had never shaken off. Whenever she caught Fiyero's eye he would give her a little encouraging smile. Her parents seemed to be in a good mood.

They were ushered into the living room again, the fire alight. Fiyero had a word with her before they settled down and he was caught in conversation with Reginald. "You're going to do it tonight?"

"Yes. As soon as I am alone with them, I'll say it."

"We can be there if you want."

"No, no, my parents would get too caught up in how rude and improper it is. It'll be fine. I'm fine." She smiled and squeezed his hand. "I'm kind of excited, actually. I'll be nice to be honest with them."

"And to be more honest with yourself?" He said knowingly, casting a glance at Elphaba. Galinda grimaced.

"Look. I want to make myself clear. While Elphie does have a… strange draw about her," Galinda said slowly, embarrassed, "I am not romantically interested in her. I don't want to be in a relationship anytime soon, and her personality is incredibly frustrating."

"Crope said you were in love."

"That's Crope. Crope thinks Boq has a foot fetish."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Anyway," Galinda said pointedly, "I am not in love with her, or crushing on her, or anything. I just think her hair is nice." She paused. "And her arms. And she smells like white tea and lime, which is a very pleasant combination."

"Right," Fiyero murmured with an amused little grin.

Fiyero survived about fifteen minutes of idle chatter with her father before he excused himself, Elphaba jumping on the escape. Her father looked as if he were about to turn in soon, so she decided to act fast. When she was sure her friends were in their rooms, she began. "Mum, dad, I wanted to tell you something before you went to bed."

"What is it dear?" Her father said, barely managing to sound interested. She felt her resolve begin to wilt, but powered on with her best smile.

"I know it's very important to you that I marry and carry on the family name," Galinda said, her parents actually turning to look at her now, "And no, I am not here to tell you that's not going to happen. It may! None of us know the future, right?" She didn't get a reply. She went on. "I just thought it important for the both of you… and me… that I tell you that…" She took a deep breath. "I'm interested in women, as well as men...Uh...Romantically."

Her parents looked at each other with stunned expressions. Her mother began to laugh, in that kind of humourless, worried way. Her father looked uncomfortable. "Honey, that's impossible."

Galinda frowned. "Well, no. No it's not. It's perfectly possible."

"I think not."

"I think many of my new roommates would disagree with you," Galinda said carefully, still keeping a smile.

"Perhaps their parents allow such indiscriminate behaviour, but you aren't them, dear." Her father turned back to the fire. "Put the notion out of your mind. It doesn't belong here."

Galinda couldn't maintain her smile. She stared at her father's profile, red with the light of the fire. "I didn't realise it would be such a big issue," she said. "I mean, considering you let me live as a girl."

Her mother looked uncomfortably at the ground, while her father sighed and stood, and walked over to the liquor cabinet. He uncapped a glass bottle of whiskey and poured himself a drink, then downed it, then poured another. He faced her. "Do you know why we allowed it?"

"Because you want me to be happy," She said slowly.

"Partly. It was obvious you were not happy as a boy and it was an extension of our love. But helping someone recover from such problems, rather than indulging them, is just as much an act of love."

Galinda felt sick. "But..."

"You are our only child. You were to be our only child, ever. You know of your mother's condition." Larena glanced at her husband, then away again. "We had to make the best of you."

"Make the best of me? Like some primed ewe?"

"Don't be dramatic," He dismissed casually. "Look. A good, strong boy is the kind of child every family wants. But you were not a good, strong boy. You were weak, and easily scared. But you were also smart, and pretty. A smart, pretty girl is almost as good as a strong boy; certainly better than a weak one."

"Don't take it hard, honey," Her mother put in with a smile intended to be sweet. "The day you told us, and you were all dressed up, I felt so proud of my daughter. The daughter I thought I would never have! But it was hard for us, you know, to go along with such unusual circumstances. We sacrificed because it was what was necessary." She looked more serious than Galinda had ever seen her. "Just as you must now, with this matter."

Galinda swallowed uselessly. "I really thought you understood."

"When you became Galinda, you forfeited all right to loving women," Her father said. "We have to live with the decisions we make."

Galinda felt like she was going to cry, but she knew the second she cried they would dismiss everything she had said, and would have won. She got angry instead. "I'm so sick of this. All of this! I'm a person, aren't I? I'm not your second chance, and my purpose in life isn't to carry on the family name! I have things I want to do for myself!"

"Oh, please," Her father muttered.

"I do!"

"What aspirations do you have, other than the aspiration all girls such as you have? You want to be liked," He spat, his drink sloshing over the edge of his glass. "You've been like that since you were a child! You picked all the clothes and all the words and all the subjects that made you the image of perfection in the eyes of others. That's your aspiration." Her father pulled out a hankerchief, dabbing at his flushed neck. "We have only ever wanted to help you with that."

Galinda stood up and faced her father, coming almost to his height, full of rage. "Don't you dare talk about me like that! I only acted like that because you made me!"

"You enjoy the attention!"

"Because it's the only attention I was taught I could receive! At least when you thought I was a boy you actually saw me as a person! The second I was in that dress I was nothing but a toy." Her voice began to break. She pressed her hand to her eyes, urging herself to keep it together. "You made me hate myself so much, I didn't even think on what I really wanted. But now I am! I am thinking! I have been, for two years! I don't want to marry, and I don't want to study journalism."

Her father looked as if his head were going to burst. "Galinda. Stop this."

She glared at him. "And I love women."

"Okay, I think everyone here needs to calm down."

Galinda stepped away from her father, her eyes snapping to Fiyero and Elphaba, suddenly appeared on the bottom of the stairs. She wiped at her cheeks quickly.

"Go to bed, both of you. This has nothing to do with you," Her father said, voice deceptively calm.

"With all due respect, sir, if it has to do with Galinda, it has to do with us," Fiyero said. Elphaba hung back, her glare firmly on Galinda's parents.

"Are you her babysitters?"

"We're her friends."

"I see. You're both her roomies, yes? Are either of you the perverted sort she mentioned?" He said it so calmly and casually, it hit Galinda all the harder. Fiyero looked alarmed. Elphaba scoffed.

"Fiyero can speak for himself, but indeed, I am probably whatever perverted sort Galinda mentioned." Elphaba looked challengingly amused, and went on flippantly: "Homosexuality, I assume? Or is it polyamory? Or incest, or semi-cannibalism?"

"We won't have such filth spoken in our home!" Larena said, jumping to her feet. "We've had you as a guest in our home despite your many peculiarities when we needn't have had to. You owe us a little more respect!"

"I don't give my respect so freely," Elphaba sneered. "You want to talk about respect? You've disrespected your daughter this entire conversation."

Her parents looked like they had been hit. "We know our daughter best and we'll talk to her as we know is right," her father managed, his veneer cracking. "You're intruding. Leave."

"Not happening," Fiyero said firmly, coming to stand beside Galinda.

Her father reddened and scowled, enraged. He advanced toward Fiyero suddenly, arm raised. Fiyero flinched away as Elphaba moved in and winded him. He stumbled back, Larena and Galinda watching in stunned silence.

The room went dead quiet as Reginald steadied himself with Larena's help. He looked up at them, at Elphaba and Fiyero, and then Galinda. "Get out," He wheezed, clutching at his stomach. "Out! All of you! Out of this house!"

They got out. They packed their belongings quickly and moved out of the house through the servant's exit, ignoring the stares of the help, all blushing and clearly privy to the entire argument.

Earlie was in the kitchen. Galinda stopped as Earlie gave her a mean, amused look. "Why do you hate me?" Galinda asked, more aggressively than she intended.

Earlie squinted at her and leaned close. "Avery and her mum told me what you did," She said slowly. "Pretending she stole your trinkets to get rid of her. Evil little girl." The cook glanced down. "Or, well, not so girl."

Galinda stared wide eyed at Earlie, fresh tears on her cheeks. Elphaba touched her shoulder. She twitched, and took a deep breath. "I had my reasons," She said quietly. She continued out of the house with Elphaba's arm around her shoulders.

They walked until they were at the gate of the property. "It's a two hour drive to central Frottica," Fiyero said, looking down the road.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What just happened?" Galinda dropped her bags and walked a short distance, through the gates, faced away from the house. "How did that actually happen? Is this a joke?"

"It'll be alright," Elphaba said gently. Galinda turned on her viciously.

"It won't be alright! Don't lie to me! Don't you lie to me too!" She clutched her head. "God, I have the worst headache."

"I have some pain killers," Elphaba said, eyeing her warily.

"Please." She grimaced as she was given the box. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

"I'm calling my parents," Fiyero said, his phone already against his ear.

He spoke to them in Arjikin. Galinda sat on her dufflebag and dry swallowed Elphaba's offered painkillers, staring off into the leafless forest across the road. Elphaba crouched beside her.

"You okay?"

"Not yet." Elphaba raised a brow. Galinda waved her hand. "Not emotionally prepared for this."

"Understandable."

"They'll be here as soon as possible," Fiyero said. "Do you guys wanna start down the road, or wait here?"

They looked to Galinda. She glanced over her shoulder at her parents house and wiped her eyes again. "Let's get moving."


End file.
